And the Band Played On
by BellaDeSang
Summary: After graduation Mercedes was ready to take the world by storm. Leaving behind Sam and Lima, Ohio was supposed to be her fresh start. What she didn't know was that life had another plan worked out for her. Can she undo the wrongs she's done or will her actions affect everything she knows indefinitely?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

LA didn't have the same atmosphere as Lima did. It was brighter and filled with such diversity. Even though Mercedes had moved there towards the middle of summer, it was now time for fall to approach. As she sat at her desk reading over song lyrics for a new track she would be singing background vocals too her mind started to wander, _'Everyone should be starting school again…Sam should be starting school…'_ she thought as she let out a heavy sigh. Placing the papers back on her desk she opened up her laptop. She had decided to login into her Facebook to spy on her friends. Kurt and Rachel were enjoying a music festival in Central Park. Tina apparently changed her style again and was now going for a more hipster look. Artie had pictures up on his feed of the kids he was counseling at some summer camp program he volunteered at. Brittany and Santana were enjoying their day at Jones Beach before Brittany had to go back to school. As she continued to scroll through she felt her heart start to race as Sam's feed came up.

"You didn't even wait…" Mercedes whispered to the screen.

There in bold letters on his feed Sam had went from "It's Complicated" to "In a Relationship with Sugarkins Motta". Mercedes immediately felt betrayed by Sam but also by Sugar as well. Her and Sugar had become close after they both left The Troubletones and went back to Glee. She was the one of many that kept encouraging her to leave Shane and get back together with Sam. How could she do that to her? How could he do that to them? Then again she left all the cards in his hand. To avoid from crying she squeezed her eyes shut hoping to hold back the tears.

It was useless

Mercedes closed down her laptop immediately and covered her hands to her face. As if on queue her phone started to ring. Startled she looked at the caller I.D. and saw her mother's number on the screen. Sucking back her tears, she adjusted her voice as she answered the call.

"Mercedes, baby?" Her mothers soothing voice said.

"Hi ma, how are you?" she replied trying to conceal the pain in her voice.

"Are you ok? You sound funny…is everything alright, is-" Mercedes cut her off.

"I'm fine ma, I was just watching something on TV and it got my emotions going."

"Oh sweetie… well I hope some of my news might cheer you up!"

Mercedes sat up straightly in her chair, "Oh? What kind of news?"

"Your father is being honored by the Dental Society! They are having a party in his honor."

"That's great! I'm so happy for daddy," she smiled.

"We want you to be there when he accepts his award. I know you're busy with your music but we'd really like to see you. Plus we think it'd be good for you to be around family support so you don't feel isolated."

"I'm not being isolated mom, I'm just busy." She groaned.

"I know you. I know you're still upset over what happened between you and he who we shall not speak of. But baby for the sake of your sanity and health, I think you could really use the visit."

Mercedes sighed, "Mom…"

"It's been decided! We already booked your ticket for next week."

"Mom how could you! You know I don't want to be anywhere near Lima at the moment."

"You can't run from Lima forever…"

_'I can…but my heart won't let me…'_

Mercedes braced herself against her desk as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mother started going on about the banquet and after party plans. The sound of Mrs. Jones voice started to fade out as she reminisced about her last days in Lima, Ohio.

The last time she and Sam were together.

**_May 4, 2012_**

_ Although school was still in session for undergrad students all the seniors had already started to disappear from the halls. Mercedes wanted to linger a bit longer because she wanted to spend as much time with Sam that she could before moving to LA. She still couldn't believe that they actually won Nationals. Everyone in Glee had been in brighter spirits since then. She had started taking down pictures from her locker when she felt a presence near her. She smiled to herself knowing automatically it was Sam._

_"Hey Beautiful," he said wrapping his arms around her waist._

_Mercedes turned around quickly only to be pinned against her locker, "Hi Sam"_

_He started to kiss her neck, "It's lunch time! Want to cut with me and go have some alone time?"_

_She stared up into his green eyes. Instantly her heart started to race as his eye bore into her chocolate ones, "Sam… you shouldn't be skipping…"_

_"But it's not technically skipping, it's just not going to the cafeteria," he brought his face closer to hers and pressed his lips against her waiting ones._

_Mercedes sighed against his mouth, "Sam…" she whispered._

_ Sam pressed himself against her as his hands traveled up her sides and to her face. Mercedes flattened her back against her locker as Sam grinded his bulge against her stomach. She sunk her hands into his back pockets pulling him closer to her. His hand traveled down until it snaked back up underneath her shirt. Mercedes could feel the heat coming off of him and in return made her feel like she was melting. Somewhere in the back of her mind logic was trying to surface it's way in between their make out session._

_"…Sam…" she said in between breaths, "We can't… do this… here…hallway… people…"_

_Sam stopped kissing her and pulled his face away slowly smirking, "We can finish this somewhere else…"_

_ He reached for her hand and gently tugged for her to follow him. Sam's speed picked up as he kept looking for an empty class room. Once he found one he turned towards Mercedes, "Do you have a bobby pin?" he asked. She nodded and pulled one from her hair. He took it and started to fiddle with the locked door until he heard a click. Smiling to himself he quickly opened the door and pulled her inside with him. Once the door closed behind them there was no holding back. Sam's hungry lips found hers as he pressed them up against the wall. Mercedes racked her nails up and down his back until she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and began to tug up. They broke their kiss as Sam allowed her to pull his shirt off and toss it on an empty desk. He brought his lips her neck and started to leave a trail of kisses down her chest. He could tell her nipples were hard through her shirt and gentle bit the fabric. Mercedes let out a gasp as Sam started to tug at her leggings. In one swift motion he yanked them down along with her underwear. Mercedes shivered as her bare legs met the coolness of the classroom wall. _

_"I love you so much," he breathed continuing to plant kisses all over her body._

_"Sam…no foreplay, we don't have time for that…" she moaned._

_ His blonde head came back into view as his lips found hers. She undid the belt of his jeans before tugging the material down. Immediately Sam pressed his erected length against hers while pinning her hands above her head. "Sam please…" she whispered. The sound of his name rolling off her lips turned him on greatly. He released her hands that he was holding captive and grabbed her hips lifting her up. She squealed against his mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Quickly he slid into her heat, resting his forehead in the crook of her neck. He groaned loudly as he began to thrust in and out of her rapidly. "Shit…Sam!" she cried, tangling her fingers in his blonde hair. _

_Sam wasn't fond of quick sex, he preferred to make love to her properly in a more private setting. However he let his politics slide as soon as he saw her at her locker. Maybe part of it was because he loved her so much and maybe the other part was because she would be moving to LA soon. The thought of LA made tears well up in his eyes. He looked at her watching her face in ecstasy as they moved to a rhythm. _

_He didn't want to let her go_

_ Mercedes opened her eyes slightly to see Sam staring at her. Even though the room was slightly dark she could see a glint of wetness in his eyes. She shut hers again as the pleasure racked through her body. The familiar sensation of her walls tightening caused her to cry out his name. She felt the muscles in his arms flex and his breath quickened, he was close…_

"Mercedes?" her mother's voice yelled.

Mercedes shook her head, "I'm still here!"

"Did you hear anything that I had said?"

"Of course mom. Look momma it's been a long day and I'd really like to get back to work."

"Fine, just remember that your flight leaves at 6am. I will be at the airport to pick you up."

"I will, I love you mom."

"I love you too!"

Mercedes hung the phone and tossed it back on her desk. She felt as if the world was taunting her right now. The irony that she would see Sam's relationship status, only to receive a phone call forcing her back into Lima, Ohio territory. She looked around her small efficiency apartment and sighed.

"It's just a short family visit, nothing more or less," she told herself.

She quickly decided that she would not mention to anyone else of her return. The last thing she needed was for him to find out. She couldn't face him after everything. The thought of having to see hatred instead of love in his eyes for her killed her on the inside. No force of God would be able to prepare her to see him again, even though in heart she wanted to see him. She just hoped that someday he would forgive her and she hoped that someday would be soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A week couldn't go by fast enough for her. One minute she's on the phone being ambushed by her parents the next she's sitting in an airport terminal. Mercedes clutched her carryon on her lap as she tapped her feet against the floor. _'Where are you?'_ she wondered scanning the room for any sign of her mother. Coming to a stop her eyes landed on a woman rushing towards her direction.

"Oh Mercy, I'm so sorry! The traffic was so horrendous!" her mother said catching her breath.

"Its fine, I wasn't waiting too long."

Mercedes carefully stood up as her mother enveloped her in a hug. Immediately tears sprang to her eyes as she allowed herself to be held by her mother. Mrs. Jones had loosened her grip on her and stared at her daughter brushing her bangs to the side of her face.

"We've missed you so much. Even though it's been a few months you look even more beautiful. There's this glow radiating from you," she said with a smile.

Mercedes smiled nervously at her mother, "Well I am in LA, which means lots and lots of sun! I'm also getting to live out my dream as a singer."

"Well as long as you're happy," she said taking a step back and eyeing Mercedes from head to toe, "Did you put on some weight dear? I imagine that being in California with everything open 24 hours you don't eat a decent home cooked meal."

"I'm eating just fine…" she said crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well, let's get going. Hopefully the traffic going back isn't as bad as it was getting here. Your father should be home shortly!"

"Great"

Her mother turned around and started to walk off towards the entrance of the Airport. Mercedes let out a deep sigh as grabbed her bag from the chair and followed behind her. Suddenly a rush of nausea hit her as she carefully rubbed her freehand against her stomach to soothe it. _'Stop being so nervous, it's just your family,'_ she thought to herself.

**_June 4, 2012_**

_ Even though it was just the start of summer it was already raining outside. Dark gloomy clouds blocked any chance of light for the day. Mercedes rolled over in bed starring out the window. What was she going to do? McKinley High was already at its last week of school and she was ready to head off to LA. The only other thing about this day that could be worse was she was dreading to have the talk with Sam about their relationship. She had stayed up all night going over and rehearsing what to say to him, hoping that he wouldn't be angry with her. A soft knock came to her door, breaking her out of her thoughts._

_"Come in," she groaned from under the covers._

_"Honey, Sam is here," her mom announced._

_Mercedes sat up in bed quickly, "Sam? What's he doing here today? Isn't he supposed to be at school?" she said tossing the covers off herself._

_"Oh my… tell him I'll be downstairs in 5 minutes."_

_ As soon as the door closed Mercedes paced back in forth in her room, 'You can do this, you can dot his…' she told herself. Changing out of her pajamas she quickly threw together an outfit and opened her bedroom door. Slowly she crept down the stairs, pausing at the sight of Sam looking wet on her couch. He turned and smiled brightly at her. Suddenly her feet felt like they were strapped to cinder blocks as she slowly descended the rest of the way down. Sam rose from the couch and closed the space between them._

_"Morning love," he cooed gathering her in his arms._

_Mercedes buried her face in his chest, "Hi Sam…" she croaked._

_ That was it; all it took was for her to say his name out loud as tears started to stream down her face. Sam held her tighter and stroked the back of her head. She didn't want to look up at him; all she wanted to do was cry._

_"Baby? Are you ok? Did something happen?" Sam asked gently pulling her away from him so he could look at her face._

_She refused to lift her head up, "I can't… I can't do this…" she whispered._

_Sam cocked his head at her, "What can't you do? Go to LA? Baby, its ok… I know you're scarred but think of all the doors that are going to-"_

_"No Sam, with you… I can't do this with you," she said trying to pry herself out of his arms, but he didn't let her go._

_"What do you mean?" his voice now started to sound wavy._

_"Us…" she said looking up, "I thought we'd be fine. That we could do the whole long distance thing-"_

_"But we can! We already talked about this… what more do we need to discuss?"_

_"It's just so hard! The more LA comes closer the more I feel myself pulling away from here."_

_"It's because I'm graduating this year isn't it? It's making it hard for you to leave?"_

_"Sam…"  
"No! I love you! We're not breaking up. I don't care if you're on another planet; I still want to be with you! You're the only person for me… you're my only love."_

_"And you're mine… but think about it. I won't be here. You will have Glee club to keep you busy. I'll have UCLA and singing to keep me. We're eventually going to grow apart, so why not just make it a little less painful."_

_ Sam's face was now a shade of red that had yet to be discovered. He balled his hands up into fists as he stepped away from her to pace. Mercedes watched him carefully through teary eyes. It was breaking her heart to have to do this, lord knows it's the last thing she wanted to do. Suddenly Sam leaned against the wall and the most gut wrenching sound escaped his mouth._

_He was crying… for her._

_ He slid down the wall and brought his knees to his chest covering his face with his arms. For once Mercedes was thankful that her family had left the house already. She sunk down to his level and reached out to touch him. He lifted his head slowly, tears streaming down his face._

_"No," he said_

_"No?"_

_"You're not leaving me! You can't leave me! Cedes…" he sobbed_

_"Sam, please… please don't make this harder-"_

_"Harder on who?" he said angrily, "You? What about me? We were fine and making plans for the future and now you want to erase everything."_

_"I'm not trying to erase everything. I just want us to both be happy."_

_"But I am happy! With you! FUCK!"_

_"I'm sorry Sam"_

_ Mercedes looked down on the floor as Sam leaned over and gathered her in his arms. He pressed his forehead against hers as they both started to cry together. She ran her hands gently through his damp blonde locks as he held her tighter. _

_"I'll move…" he said_

_"What?"_

_"I'll move. I'm coming with you! If it's the distance that plays the biggest role then let's fix it right now. I'll transfer to the nearest high school and we can still be together."_

_"No Sam, don't do that. You can't move away again from Glee club or your family."_

_"Fuck Glee Club! My family already let me go once. They know how much you mean to me."_

_"You can't come with me"_

_"Why not? It's ok for you to move but it's not for me… you don't love me anymore do you?"_

_"Sam!" she snapped_

_"That's it, isn't it? You fell out of love with me?"_

_ She let out a heavy sigh as she stared into his raging green eyes. She loved him more and more everyday. In fact she thought it might be inhumanly possible to love someone as much as she loved Sam. He was her everything and he meant everything to her. Every time she pictured her future he was right there, standing beside her, cheering her own, taking pictures with her, supporting her. Why wouldn't she just let him come with her? As soon as he said it she wanted to accept his offer but a small part of her brain forced her not too. She can't have him live out her dreams. He had dreams too. It was unfair of her to expect him to follow in her shadow, as much as he allowed it, she didn't want that for him. _

_"I don't love you anymore…"_

"We're home!" her mother announced putting the car in park.

Mercedes glanced up at the big terra cotta colored house. She hadn't realized that she was so lost in thought throughout the entire car ride. Her mother opened the side of her door for her as she stepped out. The front door of their house opened as her father stepped out to greet them.

"Pumpkin!" he said excitedly.

"Daddy!" She shouted running into his arms.

"You look so beautiful"

"I know, momma already told me earlier," she chuckled

"Come on, let's go inside. Tonight we will celebrate your return with dinner at Breadstix's, sounds good?"

"Sounds great daddy"

She let her father lead her into the house. The house still felt the say, yet she still felt like she hadn't been home in ages. Her parents wandered off towards the kitchen as she headed upstairs towards her old bedroom. Turning the knob she was greeted by the sight of her purple shaded room. After her long flight all she wanted to do was sleep and hope that her day would get a little better.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For a Wednesday night Breadstix was still crowded. Then again it was the Olive Garden of Lima, so go figure. Mercedes looked around at her families smiling faces. Her brother Marley had decided to join them for dinner instead of hanging out with his roommates. Everything in the restaurant had smelt fantastic, it was certainly an upgrade from In and Out burgers and Mac and Cheese.

"So Mercy, how's LA?" Marley asked turning his attention towards his sister.

"It's LA," she said nonchalantly.

"Oh come on, we're never been to the west coast before. Surely there's excitement twenty four seven there," her father said

"I bet you run into a lot of movie stars," her mother beamed

Mercedes shook her head, "Not really, I mean I may catch a glimpse of someone but no actual up close and personal encounters. It's really fast pace moving compared to here. One minute I'm in the studio the next I'm taking an exam for class."

"Oh the fast track life, huh sis?" Marley teased

"Hush Lee… I'm just excited that we're all here as a family and to see your father add this new achievement to his career."

"I'm so proud of you daddy!"

Their waitress had came over and handed out their menus. Mercedes eyes scanned through the listings trying to decide on her meal. Each item she came across sounded amazing to her. Suddenly a sound had caught her attention. Shifting her eyes up she scanned the room until she found where the sound was coming from.

Sam's laughter

All of a sudden her heart began to race. She felt like she might have been having a panic attack. She couldn't peel her eyes away from his cheerful face as he laughed at one of Mr. Motta's jokes. Bringing her out of her panic she felt a hand rub her back.

"Mercy are you ok?" Marley asked concerned.

Finding words to form in her mouth was an understatement, "I…I…"

"Here pumpkin, have a glass of water," her father gestured to the glass in front of her.

She grabbed it and gulped it down, "Sorry" she said.

"Are you ok? What was that all about?" her mother asked.

"It's nothing, I had something caught in my throat. Thanks everyone"

"It's probably from all that singing straining your voice"

"Yeah, probably"

She went back to reading through her menu. Instead of enjoying her time with her family now all she wanted to do was get up and run clear across the states and back to California. It took all the strength she had not to keep shifting her glaze over the Motta's table. When she finally did she realized the family had left and Sam was gone.

After her father had paid the bill the Jones family started to leave the restaurant. Mercedes was thankful that she didn't have to witness Sugar and Sam's interactions for a long time otherwise she wouldn't have been able to eat. Her parents had waved off to Marley as he headed into another direction towards his car. She didn't want to go home just yet.

"Momma, daddy!" she called

"Yes baby?" her mother asked

"I think I'm going to walk around town for a bit and do some star gazing. You don't get to see too many stars at night in LA that aren't famous," she said

Her father waved, "Ok, just be safe. Call us if it gets too late and you need us to pick you."

Mercedes watched as her family got in their car and drove away. There was nowhere in particular that she wanted to go; she just didn't want to go home. She started heading west of Breadstix's until someone grabbed her from behind. Startled she tried to run but the stranger had a tight hold on her.

"Mercedes," the voice said deeply

Fear had started to fade away and was replaced with panic. She knew that voice from anywhere. The stranger had spun her around to face them. Immediately her large brown eyes met a pair of steely green ones. Thinking she could run she found herself backed up against a wall.

"Sam…" she choked out

"Why are you here? Why are you back in Lima?" he asked angrily

She shook her head, "My dads getting an award. My family wanted me to be there. I'm here for my father."

Sam squeezed his eyes shut at her words, "Why… why couldn't you just stay away like you said?"

Sam opened his eyes again and they were now filled with tears. Mercedes placed her hand on her chest rubbing it over her heart. Her heart was aching for him. He stood their in front of her dressed in a nice shirt and tie, with his blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes.

He looked good… too damn good.

They stood less than three feet from each other, each just observing the other for their next move. Sam decided to be the one to make the first play. He stepped closer to her and brought his hand to the side of her face. She turned her head away from him and closed her eyes. Suddenly she was jolted forward as she found herself being held tightly in Sam's arms.

"I've missed you…so much…" he cried

"Sam…"

"Don't say anything… please"

He held onto her to what seemed like forever. He couldn't believe she was back here again; that they would just so happen to be in the same place at the same exact time again. It was almost like fate had brought them together again.

**_2 Hours Earlier_**

_ Sam had been sitting stiffly in his seat next to his girlfriend Sugar. Everything seemed to be moving so fast between the two of them. It went from her asking him out one day to now he was meeting her parents. At first Sam wasn't thrilled that Sugar wanted to paint the town red with their romance. He rather they keep it quiet and private. Sugar on the other hand wanted everyone to know she landed "The Cutest Glee Member". When everyone had heard the news Tina and Artie were the first to confront him about it. Artie had been disappointed because he had really liked Sugar and seeing that Rory had went back to Ireland he was sure he had a shot with her. Tina on the other hand was pissed beyond belief. Sugar was Mercedes friend! Sam had pointed out that she went after him and not the other way around. Still it didn't stop Tina from scolding him for agreeing to the commitment. As it currently stood neither Tina nor Artie were talking to him anymore._

_ He brought his attention back to Mr. Motta who was cracking another joke. Sugar smiled wildly at him as if to signal him to laugh at her fathers actions. He coughed up an obnoxious sounding laugh that seemed to echo throughout Breadstix. Sam's laughter was killed when he heard in the distance someone was in trouble. He looked around as horror and shock plastered all over his face._

_Mercedes_

_ There she was as he lived in breathed a few tables away from him with her family. Something was wrong with her as he watched her family console her over something. Part of him wanted to rush over to the table and tend to her, the other part that kept him there was Sugar. Fighting his conflictions he turned his attention back to the Motta family._

Now his nightmare had become a reality. Mercedes had come back to town. He wanted nothing more than to drop down on one knee and propose an everlasting love to her. Instead he just held her, scarred that if he loosened his grip she would slip away forever and he'd never see her again.

"Cedes… oh baby… I've missed you," he whispered against her hair.

"Sammy… I've missed you."

Suddenly he felt bold, "Marry me!" he said

Mercedes was taken back by his forwardness, "What?"

"I said will you marry me? We can catch the justice of the peace before it closes and be back in LA as soon as possible."

She hung her head pushing him away gently, "Sam I can't marry you."

He looked at her wildly, "I know it's extremely sudden, believe me when I say that I totally had better ideas of doing this than in an alley randomly."

"Sam I know you're with Sugar"

"Who cares! I don't love her… I love you… I always loved you and I still love you."

"Sam!"

"I will stand up for you no matter what you are going through, going through, going through…" he started to sing.

_You found a place where you belong  
New friends that can do no wrong  
That's what you believe  
But who is going to be there when you fall  
To build up when you are feeling small  
Give you love that you need  
Who will, I will  
When the whole world turns against you,  
Ain't no lie_

_Don't you know that I will stand up for you  
No matter what you are going through  
I'm still on your side  
Any time day or night  
Don't care if it's wrong or right  
I'm still on your side_

Mercedes stood there watching him as he sung his heart out to her. She had missed the sound of his voice when he would sing. He grabbed her hands and pulled her towards him, slowly waltzing to an imaginary beat.

_You want to run you want to break free  
What you want ain't what you need  
Can't you see that I care  
I know I'm hard on you sometimes  
But when you are looking for the things you can't find  
Don't you know who'll be there  
Who will, I will  
When it's more than you can handle  
Ain't no lie_

_Don't you know that I will stand up for you  
No matter what you are going through  
I'm still on your side  
Any time day or night  
Don't care if it's wrong or right  
I'm still on your side_

_I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there  
I'll be there when you need me  
I won't let you go  
There's nothing I won't do I'll be there_

Her heart was racing as their waltz turned into a private slow dance. She inhaled the scent of his cologne as he rested his head on top of hers. Just as she was getting comfortable in his arms realty had struck. There was no way they could ever be together again. He would never look at her the same way if he knew the truth.

_Don't you know that I will stand up for you  
No matter what you are going through  
I'm still on your side  
Any time day or night  
Don't care if it's wrong or right  
I'm still on your side_

_I will be around when the others let you down  
I'm still on your side  
Anytime you need help and you can't find nobody else  
I'm still on your side_

Once he had finished he brought his face closer pressing his lips against hers. She sighed at the touch of his soft lips. He pulled his head back slightly to smile at her. It felt like when he had came back to school a year ago all over again. The same smiling satisfaction he got after singing a duet with her and then kissing under her name in lights.

"This is wrong Sam," Mercedes said

"Why? I know you still love me. I can see it in your eyes that you didn't mean what you said. We can start over again from scratch. I'm willing to pretend it was just a bad dream."

"I can't Sam, I told you before that I can't be with you. Things have changed…"

"What things? I see nothing different than before except you're keeping yourself at arms length away from me."

"I have my reasons"

"And what exactly are they? Because I'd loved to hear them," he laughed

"They're personal and none of your business," she said shaking her head, "I need to go, I need to get back home."

"Wait… just stay with me for a little longer," he pleaded

"Sam you're not making anything better by doing this"

"Why can't I? Stop pushing me away Cedes! I love you, accept that," he paused for a moment, "Is it someone else? Did you find someone new?"

"You're one to talk! You're with Sugar! How could you Sam, she was my friend," she yelled.

Sam looked at her surprised, "It's not like I purposely went chasing after her after you left. She made all the advances, I just accepted out of loneliness…"

"Do you love her?"

"What? No! I only love you"

"Then why did you agree to a relationship with her?"

"I told you I was lonely and I needed to fill an empty void. Besides I don't need another lecture about this, I already had to suffer at the hands of Tina's wrath once already."

Mercedes smiled at the thought of her friend, "Well she's a good friend."

"If its Sugar you're worried about I'll break up with her."

"Sam! Stop being so hasty. I saw you with her family. That means something."

"Not to me! She only wanted me to meet her parents because she was excited. I wasn't too thrilled about it."

This couldn't be happening! He was supposed to be furious with her, even hate her. Instead they were falling back into old patterns with each other. His reaction was making the situation even worse her. Did he really think she would marry him on a whim like that? Of course he did… well maybe the old Mercedes. The new Mercedes had to place a better head on her shoulders; one that was a little less naïve.

"I have to go," she said turning around to leave.

"Cedes! You said you would stay"

"Jesus Sam, STOP IT! Stop trying to pick up the pieces. Stop trying to save us. Stop trying! I will not marry you and no we no longer have a future together. Now quick begging and go home to Sugar. She's your girlfriend now, not me, not anymore. Make things work with her."

On that note she stormed off away from him. He hadn't expected to react to her the way he did. In his head he was going to curse her out and then walk away from her head. Instead he showed his weakness and vulnerability and she in return walked away from him.

Again

Feeling the rage boil over he swiftly punched his fist against the wall. The pain shot up his arm and he was certain that his knuckles were bleeding. He didn't care; he didn't care about much right now. _'Damn it! Why did I have to say yes to Sugar? Now she had a reason to not talk to me,'_ he cursed to himself. One way or another they were going to talk and he was going to get her back again; even if he had to throw his pride out the window to do it.

* * *

Song "Still By Your Side" by BBMak


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**_Flashback to the end of school_**

_ The hallways had felt so empty now that Puck, Finn, Rachel, Santana, Mike, Quinn and Mercedes were gone…especially Mercedes. Sam still refused to give up on them. He didn't care what she had to say, he knew in his heart that they were meant to be together. He could have had any girl at this school when he returned but instead all he wanted to do was win back his summer love and he did. Even if it was for just half of the remaining school year everything felt better with her. Now he felt cold and empty._

_"Hey Sam…" a shrill voice said_

_He turned his head, "Oh hey Sugar, what's up?"_

_She sat down next to him and smiled, "I'm ok, the question is how are you?" she asked leaning in._

_"Eh, I've seen better days," he laughed._

_"I heard about you and Mercedes… I'm so sorry Sam," she frowned_

_He shifted his eyes from hers, "It's ok, I'll get over it," he lied_

_"If it makes you feel any better Rory is moving back to Ireland soon. You and I will be on the same boat and I can always use a shoulder to cry on."_

_He arched an eyebrow, "Thanks Sugar, but I'd rather just work it out myself."_

_"But you don't have too! No one should go through singleness alone," she said placing a reassuring hand on his forearm._

_"Thanks…"_

_"What are friends for?"_

New Directions were starting to look like they needed to change their name to 'Wrong Directions'. Tina had the strongest vocals out of everyone in the group, but she alone couldn't make up for the lack of Mercedes and Rachel's. Brittany could easily fill Mike's dancing shoes, while he tried to fill Finn's awkward jock ones. They had yet to get new members and without new ones they would never make it to regional.

"Ok guys, so the theme for this week is inner emotions…" Mr. Shuester said. The class groaned at his response, "Now when we think of inner emotions it's normally something that is kept in a private place where no one can see. I want you all to dig deep into yours and find a song that expresses how you feel."

"Mr. Shue?" Sam called

"Yes Sam, you have a question?"

"I already know my song."

"Terrific! Nice job Sam!"

"Going to sing your guilt away?" Tina cracked.

Sam got up in front of the room and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. He looked around at the group as they anxiously waited for his song. Sugar had propped herself up and clasped her hands together to contain her excitement. He walked over and grabbed his guitar and started to strum some chords.

"I chose this song because it reflects how I've been feeling for the past week," he spoke.

_Sitting here wasted and wounded  
at this old piano  
Trying hard to capture  
the moment this morning I don't know  
'Cause a bottle of vodka  
is still lodged in my head  
And some blond gave me nightmares  
I think that she's still in my bed  
As I dream about movies  
they won't make of me when I'm dead _

_With an ironclad fist I wake up and_  
_French kiss the morning_  
_While some marching band keeps_  
_its own beat in my head_  
_While we're talking_  
_About all of the things that I long to believe_  
_About love and the truth and_  
_what you mean to me_  
_And the truth is baby you're all that I need_

Sam took note of Sugar staring at him as he belted out line after line. He quickly replaced her in his mind with Mercedes. The room had now appeared empty to Sam with only a single spot light shinning down on her. She sat still listening to the words pouring from his heart and out of his mouth.

_I want to lay you on a bed of roses_  
_For tonight I sleep on a bed on nails_  
_I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is_  
_And lay you down on bed of roses_

_Well I'm so far away_  
_That each step that I take is on my way home_  
_A king's ransom in dimes I'd given each night_  
_Just to see through this payphone_  
_Still I run out of time_  
_Or it's hard to get through_  
_Till the bird on the wire flies me back to you_  
_I'll just close my eyes and whisper,_  
_baby blind love is true_

_I want to lay you down on a bed of roses_  
_For tonight I sleep on a bed on nails_  
_I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is_  
_And lay you down on bed of roses_

All he could think about was her. The way her eyes would light up when he did an impression or the way she would smile when he said something nerdy. He bitterly thought about their last interaction, their break up.

**_May 4, 2012_**

_He barely slept and eaten for days after he stormed out of her house and into the rain. Finn was home at the Hudson-Hummel house, while Kurt was out shopping for his big New York move. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about his feelings to any of them. Kurt would instantly be on Mercedes said, while Finn would take up for him. He just wanted to disappear or wash down the drain like the rain. Why did it have to hurt so much? It didn't hurt this much when he and Quinn had ended things. Hell he awkwardly gave her a promise ring as sign of his affections for her. So why did this hurt much more than that?_

_The hotel bar hangover whiskey's gone dry_  
_The barkeeper's wig's crooked_  
_And she's giving me the eye_  
_I might have said yeah_  
_But I laughed so hard I think I died_

_When you close your eyes_  
_Know I'll be thinking about you_  
_While my mistress she calls me_  
_To stand in her spotlight again_  
_Tonight I won't be alone_  
_But you know that don't_  
_Mean I'm not lonely I've got nothing to prove_  
_For it's you that I'd die to defend_

_I want to lay you down on a bed of roses_  
_For tonight I sleep on a bed on nails_  
_I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is_  
_And lay you down on bed of roses_

As soon as he stopped strumming his guitar Sugar rushed over to him and enveloped him into a hug. He awkwardly hugged her back as the classroom cheered for him. Artie gave him a dirty look at the sight of Sugar fawning over him. He frowned for a bit and let go of Sugar.

"Oh Sammy! That song was so perfect! I can't believe you would dedicate that to me!" she squealed

"The topic was inner emotions," he responded flatly to her.

She hugged him again, "Oh Sam… this is it. This is our big moment! We have a song!"

Sam looked at her for a split second, "I need to go get some water."

He stepped out of the Glee room and into the hall. Breathing a sigh of relief he stopped walking. Sugar had thought the song was for her. _'Of course she would! It's Sugar'_ he thought to himself. He didn't have the heart or the patience to let her down and speak of who the song was really about. It was one of the many of Sugar's traits that he found very off putting. Although she maybe confident, it was laced with extreme vanity. He often questioned himself and his choice to enter a relationship with her. But none of that matter now. Mercedes was back, for how long he didn't know. He would use that time frame to convince her that they belonged together.

Mercedes couldn't figure out which dress to wear. Everyone in the house was almost ready to go and she as still having a battle with her clothes. Closing her eyes and pointing her finger it landed on a dark green dress. Picking it up the soft material she held it up to herself in the mirror, twirling for a bit. She unzipped the dress and slipped it on, carefully tugging it up past her hips. A soft knock came to her door.

"Mercedes are you almost ready?" her father asked

Turning around to zip up her dress, "I'll be down in five minutes!"

Successfully zipping up her dress she quickly chose a pair of satin black flats. Her family had been chatting away downstairs as she made her way towards them. She smiled at her family and did a mini twirl to show off her dress.

"You look beautiful!" Her mother raved.

"Is everybody ready?" he father asked.

"I'm good," Marley replied

"We're ready," Mercedes said

The Jones family had decided to take one car for the event. Mercedes was so excited to see her father win and award. She had hoped that someday she would be receiving an award too. Her first Grammy after her album at went platinum world wide.

_ The sounds of screaming fans as Justin Bieber stepped onstage to announce the nominees for album of the year. Mercedes sat up eagerly as they read off her name. She felt a hand clutch hers as she anxiously awaited the results._

_"And the winner for album of the year is…" Justin had opened the envelope and smiled, "Mercedes Jones!"_

_ She stood up with her mouth hanging open in shock. The camera had focused on her as she tried to process her win. Sam hugged her and kissed her face as she started to cry. Pulling herself together she got up and headed towards the stage. Justin handed her the Grammy as she clutched her chest emotional._

_"Wow… thank you all so much! I can't believe I'm winning my first Grammy! First of all I would like to thank God for this wonderful opportunity that he allowed to come into my life. My producers, my manager, my friends and family… Lastly, I wouldn't be here without you baby. Sam this is for you!" she spoke as she held up her Grammy in victory._

"Sam…" she sighed

"What?" Marley asked looking at her.

"I sad 'same', everything still looks the same," she lied

Marley laughed, "You've only been gone for a few months. I highly doubt eh apocalypse came in that time frame and now we're in some sort of Futurama."

"We're here!" her mother chimed.

Mercedes got out of the car and clutched her purse to her side. They were honoring her father tonight at the Lima Banquet Hall. She didn't know her fathers co-workers that well aside from the ones she had met on occasion at his dental office. The place was nicely decorated and well lit. A waiter had shown them their table, which was front and center to the stage. Mercedes watched associate after associate came up to give a nice speech about her father. It warmed her heart to know that people thought so much of him like she did. Feeling confident she got up and walked over to the host, whispering something in his eye. He winked at her as she stepped up onto the stage.

"Hi my name is Mercedes. The man you are honoring tonight is my father. It fills my heart with so much joy to see his hard work be honored by all of you tonight."

She grabbed the microphone from the stand and walked over to the piano off to the side. The lights started to dim, while one remained focused on her. She smiled at her father as her fingers begun to glide across the piano keys.

_Oh so long for this night I prayed  
That a star would guide you my way  
To share with me this special day  
Where a ribbon's in the sky for our love_

_If allowed may I touch your hand_  
_And if pleased may I once again_  
_So that you too will understand_  
_There's a ribbon in the sky for our love_

_Do...Do..._  
_Do Do Do Do Do..._  
_HMM HMM..._

As she played she let the music take her over. She saw both her mother and fathers' eyes tear up at her performance. Although she was singing for her father, she was dedicating the song silently to Sam. She wished he was here right now sitting at the table with her parents watching her perform. It was very rare that she performed in front of them. Years ago when she spoke of her dream to become a singer they had quickly tried to diminish it. She hated that she had to prove that she was talented enough to make a career out of it, but if it got her to where she was right now then all her efforts were worth it.

_This is not a coincidence  
And far more than a lucky chance  
But what is that was always meant  
Is our ribbon in the sky for our love, love_

_We can't lose with God on our side_  
_We'll find strength in each tear we cry_  
_From now on it will be you and I_  
_And our ribbon in the sky_  
_Ribbon in the sky_  
_A ribbon in the sky for our love_

_Do...Do..._  
_Do Do Do Do Do..._  
_HMM HMM..._

_There's a ribbon in the sky for our love..._

* * *

**Song "Bed of Roses" by Bon Jovi**

**Song "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder**


	5. Chapter 5

It sucked being holed up in the house for days on end. She had every intention on heading back to LA but time had that sort of little convenience for her since she was on break from school. To add to the mixture Illuminate Records were still working on the music so they didn't need her to lay down any tracks yet. As the factors piled up against her it had become harder for her to accept her parents' plea to extend her stay. Mercedes had figured that if she had stayed at home she could avoid anymore awkward run-ins with former classmates. However Tina had gotten word of her presence and begged her to hangout. She knew it was unfair to Tina to hide from her so she didn't hesitate to decline the invite.

Mercedes pulled up in front of the Lima Bean café, putting the car in park. She sat there for a moment to collect her thoughts before stepping out of the car. As soon as she walked in she immediately spotted Tina sitting at a table by herself. Tina's face beamed as she waved wildly at her. Mercedes returned the excited gesture as both girls embraced each other in a much needed hug.

"Look at you a superstar!" Tina said

"Oh hush," Mercedes blushed

"So! It's so good to see you again. I missed you so much! Things are so boring here without you and Mike around constantly."

"How is he by the way?"

"Oh he's fine. He landed a part in the school ballet. He's excited that he gets to test out a new dance form."

"Ballet? I would have never guessed. He seemed more like a tap and jazz kind of guy."

Tina shrugged, "They encourage all students to stretch out of their elements every once in awhile."

"That's sounds so cool."

"It is… so how are you? I heard you had a run in with Sam"

"How did… is that how you knew I was back?" Mercedes asked suspiciously.

"Yes… well sort of. I overheard Sam on the phone with Puck after Glee club was over. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Tina asked with a pout.

Mercedes looked down, "To be honest it was only supposed to be for a few days for my dad's award ceremony. They pretty much forced me to extend my stay," she laughed.

"I see… well I'm happy you're here with me none the less."

"Me too"

"Hey lets go place our orders."

Mercedes set her bag down in her chair as she and Tina walked over to the barista counter. Tina's eyed were fixed on Mercedes, "Hey why are you wearing a scarf? It's a bit warm here. I know LA is always hot, but that doesn't mean it's the dead of winter here," Tina teased. Mercedes just smiled as she self consciously pulled at her long scarf. Tina had ordered a latte while Mercedes stuck with a chai tea. They waited on the side as their orders were being made. Mercedes smiled kindly at the barista as he handed her her drink. Without warning she turned around to walk back to their table only to bump into someone. The person had reacted fast and caught her drink before it could spill everywhere.

"You have to be careful," Sam said

Mercedes closed her eyes and swallowed hard, "Thank you…" she said trying to take her drink him. He held it out of her reach.

"Cedes…" he started, "We need to talk"

She tried to reach for her drink again but he recoiled, "We need to talk about what?"

She looked up at him annoyed only to find that his face was hard and was starting to turn red. The same terrible shade she saw when she broke up with him. Not trying to play his games she tried to move around him. Unfortunately he moved with her blocking her from walking pass. He held onto her drink and crossed his arms.

"Stop it Sam! I already told you it's over. Now give me my drink back," she angrily whispered to him.

"No… not until you tell me the truth," he sneered glaring at her.

"The truth about what? I thought we talked about why our relationship ended."

He rolled his eyes, "Not about that"

"Then about what?"

"This…"

The next move he made she wasn't prepared to handle. She thought this moment would come later or even never. Sam's free hand pushed aside her gaudy scarf and pressed firmly against her stomach. Her eyes widened at the realization that he knew. She sharply looked up only to be met with a pair of wild eyes. Mercedes couldn't tell if he was shocked, angry, upset, scarred, or all. His hand rubbed her harden bulge as he bit his bottom lip.

**_A Week Ago_**

****_After Mercedes had left him standing in the alley he was thanking the stars even more that he had not accepted Mr. Motta's offer to drive him home. He needed to walk off this whole situation as much as he could. Sam usually knew when to back down from a fight but something was off about their fight. It was clear as day that Mercedes still loved him but she was holding herself back from him._

_And he wanted to know why._

_ School had seemed to breeze by for him as the sound of last periods bell rang. Grabbing his books he stepped out into the hallway. A pair of small arms around his and squealed._

_"Sammykins! I missed you all day. I hate that we don't have the same lunch schedule," Sugar said._

_"Hey Sugar," he said turning around to quickly smile at her._

_"What's the matter? You look so down? You missed your Sugarkins didn't you!"_

_He smiled awkwardly, "Sorry didn't get much sleep last night. Kurt stopped by yesterday to pick up some more things to take back to New York," he lied._

_"Aw! I miss Kurt!" she whined_

_"Listen, I'm going to go head off for swim practice. See you tomorrow?"_

_Sugar stood up on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek, "See you tomorrow handsome!"_

_ Sam watched as Sugar skipped down the hall and out of sight. Once she was gone he leaned up against the lockers and closed his eyes. 'Cedy, what are you doing to me?' he thought to himself. Changing his mind he decided to skip synchronized swimming today. Dropping his books at his locker he slipped out the back entrance of school hoping none of the swim team caught him. He started walking down the dirt road towards __McKinley__Park__. The park was littered with little screaming kids and their parents playing together. Sam's mind began to wander. There were moments when he would visualize him and Mercedes at a park tending to their small children; the look of love on her face and the look of pride on his. In his mind he envisioned them with massive amounts of curly brown hair that would bounce every time they laughed at one of his jokes or impressions. _

_"No…" he whispered hoarsely._

_ Suddenly a light bulb blew out in his mind. He closed his eyes as he back tracked his memory to a few days ago. He remembered hugging her, knowing that her body felt different to him. He remembered his hands briefly making contact with her stomach. It was that same feeling when his mother was pregnant with Stacy and Stevie. He had been old enough to remember the many times he would try to feel for his sibling's movements inside of his mothers' stomach._

_That soft, but firm feeling…_

_"She's pregnant…" _

"Whose is it?" he said softly

"I don't know what you're talking about," she responded quickly.

He stepped closer to her, "Whose…is…it…" he said slowly and angrily.

"Sam-"

"Don't Sam me! I know you're pregnant!"

The color drained from her face, "Sam-"

"At first when I hugged you that night I wasn't sure. But I knew something was not right with you. Then for days I replayed our meeting over and over again until I realized what was wrong," he breathed taking his hand away from her stomach, "That's why you really broke up with me isn't it? You cheated on me…" he said, a lump forming in his throat.

Mercedes didn't know what to do. What was she going to say to him? Even though there was a small group of people at the Lima Bean they sure took an interest in their conversation. She glanced around for any sight of Tina. When she finally found her she was met with her confused eyes. There was no hiding the tears or truth anymore.

He found out

Sam's chest was now heaving up and down. He felt like he was going either pass out or turn into the Hulk. How could she? How could she cheat on him with someone else and then above all get pregnant by? That last thought made his heart hurt even more. He had always envisioned that they would have their first child together, that he would be the father. Now he knew how Finn had felt when Quinn cheated on him with Puck. Silence spoke louder than words and Mercedes silence was deafening. He didn't know if he wanted to go and punch any random guy that came across his path or jump off the Lima Bridge. Not wanting to wait any longer for her to answer he turned around and walked away. In his mind there was no explanation for this. There was no resolution that would ever make him forgive her.

Mercedes was frozen in place as time seemed to slow down for her. Her awkward silence made their situation heat up even further. Snapping out of her trance she caught the back of Sam's head heading out of the door. It was now or never. She could either chase after him or let him walk out of her life forever. Her heart said for her to run as fast as her feet could carry her, but her brain was too stubborn. Instead she watched Sam from the window as he walked away and never looked back. Once he was out of sight Mercedes let out of a sob as her knees gave out underneath her. Tina as well as others in the Lima Bean rushed over to her.

"Mercedes! Are you ok? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Tina asked frantically, "Mercedes!"

"I'm fine…" she said grabbing her head to stop the headache caused by her tears.

"What happened? Did Sam say something to you? I swear I will kick that tall blonde shits ass as soon as I see him in Glee!"

Mercedes put her hand on her raging friend, "No… I have to tell you something…"

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant"

"WHAT!" Tina said a little too loudly.

"I'm pregnant… he knows…" she sobbed

"Oh my god Mercedes! How long?"

"I… found out after I moved to LA… I didn't know what to do, I was so ashamed. No one knows."

"Not even your parents?"

"Not even my parents… they think it's because I'm a different person now, but I can't bear to tell them. That's why I didn't want to stay here. I'm so afraid of them finding out."

Tina helped Mercedes off the ground and directed her towards the table they had sat at earlier. Mercedes sat down and dried her eyes with some napkins. Tina extended her hand and placed it on top of hers. She was so thankful to have Tina as a friend right now. It made her feel less alone then she had these past few months. Suddenly a fluttering sensation started inside of her that made her stop crying. She gently rubbed the spot on her stomach as her baby moved. Smiling to herself she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation. However, that smile on her face didn't stay there for long as realization had started to set in. The baby's father would never get to feel what she was feeling. He would never see their baby smile. Their baby would never know its father and it was her fault. Even though in her heart she felt she was doing right by her child she would later come to regret those actions, more than she'd ever know.


	6. Chapter 6

Mercedes was so happy that she could finally share her secret with someone. Even if Tina had found out in the most embarrassing way possible. It meant that she didn't have to hide from someone anymore. Laying on her bed she carefully pulled her shirt up exposing her stomach. In the past week she had started to show more. She was almost positive that she wouldn't have a belly button by October. Her fingers traced up and down her stomach as waited for her baby's movement. The sound of her cell ringing caught her attention.

"Hey T!" she answered.

"Hey Mommy… how are you and the kiddo hanging?"

Mercedes continued to rub her stomach, "We're doing just fine. Just resting a bit."

"Aw! Hey would you like some company?"

"Sure, not like I have much going on right now."

"Awesome… I'll be over in an hour and I'll bring some snacks."

"It's a date"

"Bye bye!"

She placed her phone back on her nightstand. Propping herself up on her elbows she looked down at her stomach, "Auntie T is coming over for a visit!" she announced receiving small flutters in response. Knowing that her baby was ok relieved some of the stress in her life. Granted all her stress right now was Sam related. Just like she had predicted the day she had found out Sam hated her. He had every reason to hate because she kept giving him so many. Hell she probably hated herself more than he did. Had she'd gone through with her decision there wouldn't have been nothing left to forgive.

**_July 3, 2012_**

_ She couldn't believe that she had been able to coax herself to come here. Standing in front of the Choices clinic the building looked like a castle sitting high on a mountain top to her. Pulling her sunglasses down from her forehead she headed inside the building. She was greeted with the sight of young girls and young couples that were all here for the same reason. Mercedes walked over slowly to the nurse's station._

_"Name please?" The nurse asked_

_"Jones, Mercedes"_

_"Ok Ms. Jones, please fill out all the information front and back. When you're ready please bring the forms back up to me."_

_ The nurse had slipped her the clipboard through a tray. She took it and grabbed a pen out of the holder. Sitting down she scanned the room briefly. She kept her face focused on the forms in front of her, filling out as much as possible. When she was done she walked back over to the nurse and handed her the forms. Now the next step was to wait for her name to be called. It seemed like she would be sitting here forever at this rate. Her eyes landed on a couple sitting a few feet away from her. The young man had a reassuring arm around his solemn looking girlfriend. Mercedes instantly felt jealous rise inside of her. She wished she didn't have to be here alone, going through this alone. She hated that there was no one there for her to console her as she was making one of the hardest decisions in her life. _

_"Jones?" a voice called_

_ Mercedes turned her head and stood up to walk towards the awaiting nurse. The nurse led her into an empty room. She hopped up on the bed and waited for the doctor to come in. Everything in this room was a turn off to her. The sight of pregnancy posters and fetal development made her sick to her stomach. A clicking sound caused by the door creaking open had brought her back to reality._

_"Mercedes is it?" the doctor asked._

_"Yes, that's me"_

_"Hi, I'm Doctor Bryant. I'll be checking you over today. It says here on your chart that you're here for an abortion?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Is this something that you have thought clearly about?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Do you know how far long you are?"_

_"No"_

_"Ok, well just lay back and relaxed and we'll do a sonogram for you."_

_ Laying back she shifted herself around a bit to get comfortable. "This might get a little cold," Doctor Bryant had said as she started to squeeze a cold jelly substance on her stomach. Mercedes winced at the pressure of the device the doctor had in her hand. She watched as the doctor moved her hand around staring at a screen in front of her._

_"Do you want to see your baby?" she asked gently._

_ Mercedes eyes widened. She had no idea that she would get to see it on the screen. In her mind she thought that she would just come in, handle her business and leave. Why was this place making it so hard for her to be here? Her mind was shouting no at her but her heart was saying yes. She chose to listen to her heart for once._

_"Yes…"_

_ The doctor turned the monitor around to show what looked like a black and white video of a tunnel of water. In the middle of it was something that looked like a little lima bean floating along._

_"Judging by the size of the baby you're about 8 weeks along."_

_"That's it? That's what it looks like?"_

_"Well for now it does but in a little over 3 weeks your baby will start looking more like a person and gain a heartbeat."_

_"A heartbeat?"_

_"Yes, it'll be very fast sounding."_

_"A heartbeat like a person?"_

_"Yes… whether you choose to accept that or not your baby is a person."_

_ Mercedes mind had now begun to race. She felt her own heart start to flutter as she tried processing the information the doctor just told her. The entire time she had just referred to it as a 'thing'. Why did the doctor insist on referring to it as a baby? She's seen babies before plenty of times. They're so small and innocent…_

_"I can't do this!" _

_ Without saying anymore Mercedes climbed off the table and ran out of the office. Tears were threatening to spill as she exited the building and never looked back._

"Hey there…." Tina's voice said poking her head through her bedroom door.

Mercedes sniffed for a second, "Hey I didn't even know you were here."

"Well I had said an hour," Tina chuckled.

"Has it really been an hour?" she asked in amazement.

Tina frowned, "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"It's nothing I'm just tired is all."

"Tired or tired of Dirty Sam's bullshit?" Tina asked rolling her eyes.

"You don't have to call him names…"

"Why? That dirtball's dating your friend."

"It's not like he cheated on me with her. I broke up with him remember? He's free to date whoever he wants."

"But there are ethics and codes that he is breaking all over the place."

"It's whatever Tina."

"Fine, but I still say he had no right to out and out ambush you at the Lima Bean. That's just mean as shit. He couldn't just talk to you like a normal person in private? The balls this one has to air out your dirty laundry in public. Hence his new nickname Dirty Sam."

"Can we please change the subject? I don't want to talk about him."

Tina put her hands up in defense, "Fine, fine. But just to let you know all you have to do is say the word and I'll take Dirty Sam to the cleaners."

Mercedes shook her head at her best friend. She knew Tina meant well and went about everything with the best intentions. However she still felt uneasy at Tina's negativity towards Sam. She sat up on her bed crossing her legs as Tina emptied out the contents in her bag.

"Ok, so I stopped by the library on the way here and look what I got!" she squealed, "Baby books!"

"Baby books?"

"Yeah, you have to give your kid a name. Preferably a cool one that they won't have to live down when they get older."

"I really haven't given much though to it honestly," she said looking out the window.

"Really? So when you talk to the baby you just call 'It'? That's a little un-motherly like."

"I guess but there are plenty of people who don't name their kids until they knew the sex or until they're born."

"So! That doesn't mean you can't have an idea on what you want to name it," she said pushing a book towards her.

"Fine," Mercedes huffed skimming though it.

"What about Demetria?"

"Ew no… how about we try boys names they're the hardest."

Tina squinted in eyes in concentration, "Hmm…. Sheldon?"

"Too nerdy"

"Maxwell"

"I don't like the singer"

"Harry?"

"I feel that's a setup for Harry Potter jokes…"

"Mercedes! Come on you're shooting down every suggestion."

"Fine… I like the name Isaiah"

"Isaiah…Isaiah Jones… has a nice ring to it."

"What about a middle name?"

"I'll get back to you on that one."

Mercedes understood Tina's need for some girl time. Tina's idea of girl time with her was exactly what she had wanted at the moment. The last thing she wanted to do was think about baby names. In her head she always thought that was something she would do with the father of her baby. Instead she felt like she was being forced into making her situation more real. It's not that she was in denial about her pregnancy, just in denial at the reality of it all. It took a bit for her mind to process that out of the all the careless things she could do in life she ended up getting herself pregnant. She knew at some point she was going to have to come to terms with everything. Her guilt would always eat at her at the mere thought that this baby wouldn't have existed a few months ago. It was another thing to add onto her list of "Mercedes Fucked up Moments." Maybe she needed therapy? Devote once a month sessions to making sense of her life and why she stubbornly did things the way she did.

There had to be someone that could make sense of her for her.


	7. Chapter 7

The week had gone by long and painful for Sam. He'd come home after school and just collapse on his bed for the night. Burt and Carole were starting to worry about him but he had just said he was exhausted from managing both swim and glee club. The truth was he was still trying to get over the Lima Bean incident. Anything related to a baby or kids made him groan in agony. There used to be a time when on the outside he looked ok but on the inside he was barely holding it together. Now everything was clear as day on his face. Sugar had been worried about him because he kept avoiding her. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with his girlfriend. Instead he remained fixated on Mercedes baby. Was it Puck? He and Mercedes had briefly dated before he came to school. Maybe they still had some sparks. Was it Artie? Sam knew that Artie hated him with a passion for Sugar, but he could also have hated him for stealing Mercedes from him too. Unless it was someone else that was outside of glee club, but who else did Mercedes know? He knew he shouldn't care about her situation at all. But he couldn't contain his rage. He was so angry at everything and everyone.

Mr. Shuester had been going through songs all week with everyone for regional. Sam knew New Directions was in trouble and his absence didn't help at all. He'd do anything to avoid Tina. She had watched him expose Mercedes's secret in front of everyone, only to have it slap back in face when she revealed he wasn't the father. A part of it nagged at him about her confession but he refused to think anything more of it. He finally decided to stop being a coward and attend glee club, despite Tina being there. He sat quietly in the front row with Sugar at his side avoiding eye contact with everyone. Tina had been eyeing him the whole time.

"So Mercedes is pregnant? How cute!" Sugar exclaimed. Sam gave her a warning look but she shrugged it off, "I could like never ever get pregnant. It'd ruin my fabulous body."

"Now everyone, Mercedes is no longer a student at McKinley so we shouldn't be discussing her business without her consent," Mr. Shuester said.

The class quieted down and Sam had thanked him silently, "Mr. Shue, I know it's a little late but I didn't contribute to this weeks assignment," Tina said.

"Now's better than never. You have the floor,"

Tina got up from her seat and stood in front of the classroom. She briefly glanced over at Sam but then brought her attention back over to everyone else. "I chose this song because currently I feel like there's been a lot of deception going on. People are fake and aren't living up to their potential."

_Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend  
Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within  
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes  
They don't tell the truth uh  
Smiling faces, smiling faces  
Tell lies and I got proof_

The truth is in the eyes  
Cause the eyes don't lie, amen  
Remember a smile is just  
A frown turned upside down  
My friend let me tell you  
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes  
They don't tell the truth, uh  
Smiling faces, smiling faces  
Tell lies and I got proof  
Beware, beware of the handshake  
That hides the snake  
I'm telling you beware  
Beware of the pat on the back  
It just might hold you back  
Jealousy (jealousy)  
Misery (misery)  
Envy  
  
Even though to everyone in the room Tina looked like she was singing to them. In reality she was singing to him. He felt his cheeks fluster out of anger at her words. He tried to remain still as possible by slowly counting in his head.

_I tell you, you can't see behind smiling faces  
Smiling faces sometimes they don't tell the truth  
Smiling faces, smiling faces  
Tell lies and I got proof_

Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes  
They don't tell the truth  
Smiling faces, smiling faces  
Tell lies and I got proof  
(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)  
(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)  
I'm telling you beware, beware of the handshake  
That hides the snake  
Listen to me now, beware  
Beware of that pat on the back  
It just might hold you back  
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes  
They don't tell the truth  
Smiling faces, smiling faces  
Tell lies and I got proof

Your enemy won't do you no harm  
Cause you'll know where he's coming from  
Don't let the handshake and the smile fool ya  
Take my advice I'm only try' to school ya

Tina received applause and standing ovation from their classmates, except him. He remained in his seat glaring at her. She in returned smiled at him and turned away to go back to her seat. He wished that he wasn't good friends with her boyfriend Mike, because if she was any other girl he would have told her off for her bold ass move.

Sam felt humiliated

Everyone in Glee club was still gossiping about Mercedes pregnancy, especially Tina. At no expense did she try to hide her smug expressions or loud chatter when he was near. He knew that she was there that day and it just made matters worse that they had to see each other almost everyday in school. Even Sugar was interested in the conversation despite Sam's disapproval. He wished they would change the subject. Focus on something that was not her and her bastard child. His persona grew dark as he thought about the life growing inside of her. He hated it and he didn't even know it. The baby didn't do him wrong, its mother had but he still harbored an indirect hatred for the small person.

"I'm planning the baby shower!" Tina squealed, "I mean the baby's not due until like the end of January."

"Awe, she must be so excited," Sugar exclaimed

"Whose the baby daddy?" Artie asked

"She won't say but I bet it's some gorgeous movie star," Tina replied.

Now his ears were turning red. How dare they talk about this in front of him? Then again Tina and Artie were no longer counted as friends as soon as he started to date Sugar. He still didn't understand why they still talked to her but shunned him. _'So her baby's due after new years…'_ his mind wandered. His eyes immediately started to water as he thought about her and her baby. He started to hyperventilate. Without warning he shot up from his chair. Everyone in the room became silent as Sam stormed out of the Glee room. He frantically searched for his cell in his pocket as he speed walked down the halls. Finally finding it he started skimming through his contacts for Mercedes number. Pressing call he brought the phone to his ear.

"Come on… pick up!" he said to no one.

"You've reached Divalicious Mercedes Jones. Please leave a message after the beep!" her voicemail replied.

"Cedes! It's Sam, please if you're still in town meet me at the park. I'll be waiting there and if you don't come by night fall then I know you've already left."

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and started to beat his fist against the wall. "That's my baby," he whispered in realization before breaking down, "They're my babies and I need them…" Sam couldn't understand how everything went from perfect to shit in 10 seconds flat. He didn't know whether to feel absolute hatred for her in this moment or to feel sorry for her. Hatred because she lied over and over again after he begged her for the truth, yet she still lied to his face. Sorrow because she obviously felt that what she was doing was for the greater good. For whose, he wasn't certain, but he did know that he wouldn't rest until both she and the baby were back in his lives again.

_[Sam]_

_Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away  
Now it looks as though they're here to stay  
Oh, I believe in yesterday_

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be  
There's a shadow hanging over me.  
Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say  
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Sugar stood off in the distance as she watched Sam break down against a locker in the hallway. At first she was going to run to him until she heard him, _'That's my baby…'_ Those very words are what kept her frozen in her place. Jealousy instantly took her over. She knew that Sam loved Mercedes more than her, she tried to remind herself everyday that she had him and not her. But deep down she knew that he would never fully belong to her because he insisted on keeping his heart reversed for 'her'. Sugar knew she shouldn't have felt this way about her former friend but it couldn't be helped. She liked Sam as soon as he came back to Glee club. She would constantly hear all these things about the so called "Trouty Mouth Boy". However when he did come back the only thing he wanted was Mercedes. Sugar couldn't fathom why out of everyone in the club he would go for her. She had a boyfriend for one and two she wasn't nearly as attractive as the other girls, in her eyes. After they won nationals she felt like somewhere someone must have been on her side.

They broke up

Not wanting to miss anymore time she took the opportunity to ask him out as soon as she could. She was surprised when he had accepted her offer. Now it seems like all that work was for nothing because he still loved her. What hurt even more was apparently he was the real father to Mercedes baby. Sugar sighed heavily and turned away from Sam's breakdown and walked away.

_[Sugar]_

_Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play  
Now I need a place to hide away  
Oh, I believe in yesterday_

_[Sam & Sugar]  
Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say  
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday_

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play  
Now I need a place to hide away  
Oh, I believe in yesterday  
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm

The sky had gone from blue to black in what felt like a matter of minutes. Sam sat on a bench at the local park waiting for Mercedes. He hadn't stopped crying since he left school. Checking his phone again he tried calling her number. He refused to believe that she was ignoring him. _'Maybe she's already gone,'_ he thought to himself. Sam felt his chest tighten as he clutched at it heaving. To on lookers he looked like he had just received word that someone close to him had died. He was so sure that he was going to suffer from dehydration from all of the crying he had been doing this past week.

It was now 8 and still no sign of her. She hadn't returned any of his calls or texts. This was it… she was gone forever. She left and took their baby with her. He felt his chest tighten again at the thought of never seeing his baby born or growing up to be a wonderful person he knew they would become. He'd never hear their first words or watch their first steps.

His baby would never know him

Would she ever tell him their child about him he wondered. Or would she make up a story about how he had abandoned her in her time of need, forcing her into a stressful like of single motherhood? All his life Sam was taught to do the right thing and it always seemed to blow up in his face. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching. His head shot up as he frantically looked around for the person they belonged too.

"Evans?" he heard a voice say

Sam turned around, "Marley?"

"Hey man, how's it hanging?" he asked curiously.

"I've seen better days."

"Dude have you been crying?"

Sam suddenly found the ground amusing, "No… I just have really bad allergies."

Marley wasn't buying it, "Look… I know you and my sister used to date and all but I thought you were kind of cool. If you want to talk about it I'm here man."

Sam studied the older man for a second before shaking his head. He didn't want to burden her brother with his own personal hell. Besides with the way Mercedes had acted he wasn't sure if Marley knew she was pregnant. Just when he thought he had gotten him off his back he was taken back by Marley sitting down next to him.

"You know… I really liked this girl a long time ago. Problem was that we just had so many things going on in our lives that we just couldn't make it work for us. So in the end we went our separate ways…" Marley spoke.

"That's nice and all but what does that have to do with me?" Sam asked

"Well… it's been about oh say 4 years now and I still think about her. Sure I've dated a few girls here and there but none of them lived up to her. I regret not making things work with her and for not keeping touch. I don't know where she is now… she was so smart, she could probably be anywhere. Who knows…"

Sam shifted uncomfortably, "I'm sorry," was all he had to say.

Marley turned to look at him, "You still love my sister don't you?" Sam shook his head, "Then why didn't you fight for her?"

Something had clicked in him, "Fight for her? She pushed ME away! I wanted to make things work and she kept throwing more things in the way to overcomplicate things."

Marley laughed, "That's my sister for you. Scarred and stubborn as hell."

"I do still love her… I can't get her out of my mind, especially now. Not knowing where she is or what she's doing is killing me… She has something of mine that I can never get back but I can't cut my losses."

"Mmm… perhaps if she won't come to you you'll have to go to her."

"Did you miss the part when I said I don't know where she is? What is this The Lion King?"

"The past can hurt. But the from way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it," Marley responded in his best Rafiki impression.

Sam smiled, "She doesn't want to see me though. She put all this effort into making sure I'd never come looking for her."

"Ignore her… Like I said she's scarred and stubborn. Besides I don't really like the idea of her being alone right now, pregnant and all."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "How-"

"How did I know? I'm observant as hell man. What my parents don't see I see. I saw right through my sister when she came home. I have to hand it to her that she really thought she was going to pull a fast one over me, but nothing gets by good o'le Marley Jones."

"I suppose you want to kill me right now for knocking your sister up."

"Eh, I suppose. Right now the way I see it you're worth more alive to me then dead. Besides my sister would kill me if I laid a hand on you."

"She'd probably help."

Marley laughed, "Oh Evans…"

He stood up to stretch as Sam looked at him sadly. Reaching into his pocket he handed Sam a piece of paper. Before Sam could respond Marley had waved him off and disappeared into the night. Thinking about how exciting and yet creepy his experience was with Marley he looked at the paper.

Mercedes address

* * *

**Song "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth**

**Song "Yesterday" by The Beatles**


	8. Chapter 8

Waiting for her flight Mercedes decided to check her phone. She had been ignoring Sam's calls for the past few days. _'At least he stopped calling,'_ she thought. Instead of letting her parents take her to the airport she decided to take a taxi. Her parents weren't home that much and she was thankful for that. Mercedes stomach had started to swell and was noticeable now. She mindlessly rubbed her stomach as her flight had been called.

"Well Lima, here's to not seeing you so soon again," she said to the air as she walked to her boarding gate.

Sam couldn't believe his luck! For once the world was on his side. He had Mercedes address, which meant that he could go and get her. The problem was he didn't know how he was going to do it. One option was to take a plane but that would cost him a couple of hundred dollars, which he didn't have. He had entertained the thought of asking Burt for a loan but decided he needed to find his own way. The second was renting a car, except he was too young to even rent one. Sighing to himself Sam stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom. He was suddenly hit with a bright idea and sat up to process his thoughts further.

He'd hitch hike

He had seen so many movies where people traveled across the US through hitch hiking. Sam was aware that back then people seemed a little more helpful and friendlier and the chances of people taking kindly to his situation were kind of slim, but he had to at least try. But how should he go about it? It's not like he could storm into Figgin's office and announce that he was taking a few weeks off from school to travel across the country to find his girl and baby. Figgin's would have him committed. He also couldn't tell Burt and Carole because they would be sure to call his parents. If his parents found out that A. he was ditching school to travel across country by hitch hiking and B. that he was doing it because Mercedes was pregnant with his kid.

"Yeah… they'd probably force me to go back to Kentucky and then bury my body under the porch…" he said to himself.

It was settled, he was going to have to hitch hike. Sam started stuffing any of his belongings he could fit inside his large army duffle bag. He had about $300 dollars to his name and hoped that it was enough to get him to where he was going. Rummaging through his back pack he pulled out his notebook and started to jot down his apology letter to everyone. When he was satisfied he placed it on his now fixed bed. Tossing his bag and his guitar over his shoulder he quietly crept through the house and snuck out the back sliding door.

Sam didn't know what time it was but he was sure it was the dead of night. Standing on interstate 75 he waited around for a sign of any passerby's that would stop for him. "Gonna get your kicks on route sixty six," he sung to himself. Blinding headlights up ahead had caught his attention. He stood up waving his arms to signal the driver, but they kept going. Frowning to himself he sat back down on the road when he heard screeching tires. The SUV that had driven passed him was now backing up. Excited he stood up and took a deep breath as the passenger window rolled down. A group of girls who looked like they were headed for a party were smiling at him.

"Hey Stranger…" one of them flirted.

"Um… hey?"

"What's a cute guy like you doing way out here at night?" another one asked.

Sam smiled, "I'm sort of hitch hiking, kind of poorly but for a cause."

"Where are you headed too?"

"Los Angeles…"

A girl gasped, "Oh my god that's like so far!"

"Were you planning on walking the way?"

"Honestly, if I had too I would do it. I'm just hoping people as nice as you are willing to help me along the way."

"He might be a serial killer," someone whispered as he heard chatter.

"How can we be sure what you're saying is true?"

Sam hung his head, "Because… I have no reason to lie. I'm just desperate. I really need to get to LA to find this girl-"

"A love mission!" Someone squealed

"Aw… that's so sweet! Look he has a guitar too. Are you planning on serenading her?"

"If it works and she takes me back then I'll sing as many songs to get her to be with me again."

"Well hop aboard stranger! We aren't heading to Los Angles but we can get you as far as interstate 70. Sounds good?"

"Sounds perfect," Sam said smiling.

He climbed into the backseat of the SUV. Two other girls were sitting back there smiling wildly at him. He kept to himself as the car had started up. He had felt a pair of eyes on him that caused him to shift his weight a bit. He was nervous. Aside from the girls in glee he hadn't had much interaction with women so he was often extremely shy around them.

"Well to make things a little less awkward my name is Melissa. The girl in the passenger side is Bella. The two girls in the back with you are Stacy and Emilie."

Sam nodded, "Nice to meet you all, my name is Sam."

"So Sam, tell us about this girl," Melissa asked looking at him from her mirror.

"Yes tell us!" Stacy chimed

"Well… her name is Mercedes. She's a beautiful and talented woman. I fell in love with her as soon as I got to know her. We were together for awhile, though it took some effort because fate kind of wasn't on our side at the time. Long story short she moved to LA after graduation, I'm a year younger than her so I had to stay behind. She broke up with me thinking it'd be better for us. What she didn't tell me was that she was pregnant…" Sam held his breath for a second, "I was shocked and upset that she had been keeping this from me. I was more upset that I had to find out on my own because she was too scarred to tell me. So now she's gone back to LA with our baby. She's four months along and I just can't bear the thought that my family is far away from me."

He heard a sniffle, "That's so touching…"

"I try. But the fact of the matter is that I need to get to LA as soon as possible so I can tell her I still love her and that I love our baby. She thinks that I hate her and won't accept our child. I want nothing more than to love and support the both of them, even if it means giving up my pride to do it. I can't live without knowing our baby is being loved and cared for. She's all alone with no other means of support. I can't… I won't let her live like that. As long as I live and breathe I will do everything in my power to make a stable life for them."

The girl sitting next to him had leaned over and gently hugged him, "That is so amazing! You are the sweetest guy ever." Stacy stated.

"I wish a guy would do that for me…" Bella whispered with sorrow.

"Do you have a brother?" Emilie asked

Sam laughed, "I do but he's way too young."

"…I can wait" Emilie replied.

The car had started to slow down. Sam looked out the window and realized that his stop had come. "Well this is my stop ladies. Thank you so much for having me!" he said climbing out of the car. All the windows in the vehicle had rolled down as each girl waved goodbye to him.

"Take care Sam!" Bella said

"Yeah, we're rooting for you!" Stacy yelled

"Let your brother know what's up!" Emilie said

Sam laughed, "Thank you all again."

"Be safe!" Melissa said before starting up the car.

Sam watched as the SUV drove away. He smiled to himself, "I'm finally catching a break," he said. He looked around at his surroundings to see what was around. Up ahead was a diner at a rest stop. Sam and his stomach had an agreement that they were hungry. He started heading towards the rest stop area. He noticed there were a lot of trucks at this stop. Surely one of these drivers had to be headed west. Sam figured he'd take his chances and hope for the better. The diner was relatively small and held a lot of suspect burly dudes in it. Everyone in the dinner seemed to take notice of him as they kept their eyes fixed on him as he made his way to the counter.

"You're a looker. What can I get you pretty boy?" the old waitress asked.

Sam scanned the menu, "Can I get a turkey Swiss sandwich with a side of fries?"

"And what about to drink?"

"Waters just fine."

"Ok. Hey Bobby an order of gobbling cheese bread with a side of spuds," she yelled.

The waitress was about to turn away, "Um… wait!" he said as she looked at him, "Do you by any chance know of anyone here that is headed out west?" he asked.

She thought for a moment, "Where are you headed too?"

"I'm trying to get to LA"

She whistled, "Wow you're a long ways from there…HEY! Any of you fellas headed out west?" she shouted.

The dinner had gone silent. Sam sunk his head hoping that the waitress's question wasn't about to start a fight. Suddenly Sam felt a shadow handing over him. He tensed as he turned to see a large bald headed man with a lot of tattoos.

This guy looked friendly

"Whose asking Mary?" the guy said roughly

"This kid here is traveling to LA; looking for a ride out there," she said and walked away.

"I don't do charity kid."

"I'm not asking for charity sir, I'm on a mission."

"A mission? What kind of mission?"

"A romantic one," he said blushing.

The man arched his eyebrow, "How much money you got kid?"

"Not a lot. I wouldn't be hitch hiking if I had some"

The man laughed, "Well…" his eyes glanced over to Sam's guitar sitting next to him.

Sam's eyes went wide, "Please sir, I can't trade you my guitar. I really need it so I can get my girlfriend back."

"Your girlfriend? You're going through all this trouble for a girl?"

"She's pregnant sir"

"A family man, eh?" the guy had started to stroke his beard, "Play me a song and if I like it I'll give you a ride. I'm headed out to New Mexico."

Sam's eyes lit up at the man. He grabbed his guitar case and unzipped it, "Oh man! No singing, it's too late for that shit Earl," someone shouted. He placed his guitar over his head and started to tune it, "Sit your ass down Jeff. The boy's gonna play me a song," he said, "And it better be good…" he added staring Sam in the eyes. Sam nodded nervously as he started to play.

_When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be,  
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you.  
When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be,  
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you._

_If I get drunk, well I know I'm gonna be,_  
_I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you._  
_And if I haver, yeah I know I'm gonna be,_  
_I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you._

_But I would walk five hundred miles_  
_And I would walk five hundred more_  
_Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles_  
_To fall down at your door._

The diner had started to clap along to his song. Sam had started walking up and down the diner singing to people in their booths. Some of them had even started to sing along with him.

_When I'm working, yes I know I'm gonna be,  
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you.  
And when the money, comes in for the work I do,  
I'll pass almost every penny on to you._

_When I come home, oh I know I'm gonna be,_  
_I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you._  
_And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be,_  
_I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you._

_But I would walk five hundred miles_  
_And I would walk five hundred more_  
_Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles_  
_To fall down at your door._

_da da da (da da da)_  
_da da da (da da da)_  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da_

_da da da (da da da)_  
_da da da (da da da)_  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da_

_When I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be,_  
_I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you._  
_And when I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream,_  
_I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you_

.

The music had started to cause Earl to clap and he smirked at the young man. Sam smiled brightly in his direction knowing that he had won over the truck driver. One of the cooks in the back had started to dance with the waitress Mary.

_When I go out, well I know I'm gonna be _  
_I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you. _  
_And when I come home, yes I know I'm gonna be, _  
_I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you, _  
_I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you._

_But I would walk five hundred miles_  
_And I would walk five hundred more_  
_Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles_  
_To fall down at your door._

_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da _

_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da_

_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da _

_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da (da da da) _  
_da da da dum da da dum da da dum da da_

_But I would walk five hundred miles_  
_And I would walk five hundred more_  
_Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles_  
_To fall down at your door_

When Sam was finished the entire diner had stood up to applaud him. He bent down to bow at their gesture. To his surprise some of them had threw money in his guitar case. He thanked everyone for their kind words.

"Kid, you've got yourself a ride to LA," Earl said

"I thought you were only going to New Mexico…" Sam asked

The guy laughed, "For you kid I'll make an exception"

* * *

**Song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers**


	9. Chapter 9

Mercedes was glad to be back home in her own apartment. The last thing she needed was to be stressing herself out with things in the past. She knew as soon as she set foot back in Lima that stress was just a mild way of explaining her state. She looked around at her apartment and for once she had moved in there it felt empty to her. All she was supposed to do was go honor her father and come home. Running into Sam wasn't part of the plan. Sam finding out about her pregnancy wasn't exactly part of the plan either. She had hoped that she could gather the strength to tell him one day about the baby. As much as she had tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing the more the denial turned into truth. What exactly was she gaining by keeping Sam away? Had he done what she thought he would do and just reject her and the baby all together she could wash her hands clean of their situation. Instead he showed nothing but the same love her had when they were together. She knew he was furious about the baby. It probably didn't help her case that she lied about the baby's paternity either. Rubbing her stomach she felt her tears well up. The little person inside of her was very much apart of Sam as it was her. She instantly felt guilt rise inside of her as she started to rethink the last two weeks. Maybe she should call Sam back and tell him? The least she could do was give him the option to be a parent instead of selfishly taking it away from him.

But what if he wants to be apart of their lives?

That would mean all the agony she caused between them for the past months would have been for nothing other than hurting the both of them. She strolled over to her bed and propped her feet up. Rolling to her side she stared out the window looking into the night sky.

_Once again we sit in silence  
After all is said and done  
Only emptiness inside us  
Baby look what we've become  
We can make a million promises  
But we still won't change  
It isn't right to stay together  
When you only bring each other pain_

_I don't wanna cry  
Don't wanna cry  
Nothing in the world  
Could take us back  
To where we used to be  
Though I've given you my heart and soul  
I must find a way of letting go  
'Cause baby  
I don't wanna cry_

Tears started to stream down her face as she imagined Sam lying next to her. For whatever reason she felt like he was near and that feeling was comforting. The first thought that had popped into her head was their fair date last summer.

_Too far apart to bridge the distance  
But something keeps us hanging on and on  
Pretending not to know the difference  
Denying what we had is gone  
Every moment we're together  
It's just breaking me down  
I know we swore it was forever  
But it hurts too much to stay around_

**_Last Summer_**

_ Mercedes sat on a bench in from of the fair. Her eyes were fixated on the Ferris Wheel going around. "Excuse me miss?" she heard a voice say as she turned around. Sam stood in front of her smirking as he held flowers in his hand extending them to her. She smiled accepting the flowers from him as she stood up to hug him._

_"Thank you Sam. How'd you know I liked purple orchids?" she asked_

_"A bird told me… so are you ready for fun, fun fun," he sang_

_She rolled her eyes, "Please no singing Sam."_

_"Ok, but I can't promise I won't hum anything."_

_ He stuck his hands in his pocket as they strolled through the fair grounds. There was nothing but silence between them as he kept glancing over to look at her. She finally returned his gazed and they stopped walking. Pursing his lips he stared at her for a moment until they heard screams of laughter. _

_"Hey you want to go on that ride?" he asked gesturing towards the Tilt o' Whirl_

_Mercedes eyes widened, "I don't know… It looks a bit much," she said nervously_

_"Oh come on it'll be fun. You only live once," he said_

_"…fine"_

_ Grabbing her hand he pulled her along towards the ride. Mercedes swallowed hard as she and Sam stepped onto the platform. She glanced around thinking the ride was unsafe._

_"Sam, where are the buckles and belts?" she asked_

_He smiled, "There are none… hold on!"_

_ The ride had started up as she instantly grabbed the handles on the side. Sam started to yell as if he was Jack Dawson on the Titanic. She started to forget hot scary the ride was and instead was laughing. He was doing his best to make sure she laughed through the whole thing. Once the ride was over she couldn't believe she actually rode it. Sam casually wrapped his arms around her waste as they both laughed. After a few moments the laughter died down when they realized they were in each others arms. Sam licked his lips nervously as he slowly bent down. Mercedes bit her bottom lip as she closed her eyes waiting for impact. He gently pressed his lips against hers and she felt goose bumps rise up her arms. It seemed like they were kissing forever until Sam pulled away only to pull her closer to him and stare into her eyes._

_"I've been wanting to do that since Prom…" he whispered_

_I don't wanna cry  
Don't wanna cry  
Nothing in the world  
Could take us back  
To where we used to be  
Though I've given you my heart and soul  
I must find a way of letting go  
'Cause baby  
I don't wanna cry_

_Too far apart to bridge the distance  
But something keeps us hanging on and on  
Pretending not to know the difference  
Denying what we had is gone  
Every moment we're together  
It's just breaking me down  
I know we swore it was forever  
But it hurts too much to stay around_

She couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She missed him; she missed him so badly that it hurt. Mercedes knew that she had royally screwed up things between her and Sam. A part of her wished that she could gain the courage to call him and tell him everything. However the other part of her has already acknowledged that the damage was done and could never be repaired.

_I don't wanna cry  
Don't wanna cry  
Nothing in the world  
Could take us back  
To where we used to be  
Though I've given you my heart and soul  
I must find a way of letting go  
'Cause baby  
I don't wanna cry_

_All the magic's gone  
There's just a shadow of a memory  
Something just went wrong  
We can't go on make-believing  
On make-believing_

_I don't wanna cry  
Don't wanna cry  
Nothing in the world  
Could take us back  
To where we used to be  
Though I've given you my heart and soul  
I must find a way of letting go  
'Cause baby  
I don't wanna cry_

"Thank you so much for the lift! You don't know how much this means to me," Sam said as he climbed out of the truck.

"Eh you were great company kid. I love your impressions," Earl said handing him a paper, "If you're ever in another dilemma give o'le Earl a call. Keep in touch ya here! I want to find out how your story ends."

"Will do!"

Sam waved off as Earl pulled out of the gas station. Taking a look around his surroundings he inhaled and exhaled sharply. He was finally here. Hours of uncomfortable sleeping in a seat had finally paid off. Nothing around here looked familiar to him at all. He silently cursed himself for not buying a map. Thinking, there was only one person he could turn too for help.

He listened as his phone rang, "Hey Puck, its Sammy."

"Biebster?" Puck asked confused

Sam laughed, "Yeah that's me… listen man I have an issue that I know only you can help me with."

"…hey man I love you and all and I know nights can be lonely since Mercedes gave you relationship blue balls, but I'm not really down for that…"

"No you ass, I'm not asking for sexual favors! It's Mercedes I need help with."

"Love advice? Well you've called the right number. Puckerman's Loveline at your service."

"I need to win Mercedes back-"

"Again?"

"Again… secondly I also need a decent place to sleep. Do you have an empty couch?"

"Wait what? Why do you need to crash here? You're in… HOLY SHIT you're in LA?"

"Yeah dude, I'm in LA at a gas station on…" he turned around looking for a street sign, "Washington Boulevard called Chevron."

"Say no more I'm on my way!"

Hanging up his phone he sat down on the sidewalk in front of the store. He had always heard and seen LA from movies and so far it didn't look anything like he imagined. While Lima seemed like a haven to be in at night, here it was a bit unnerving. Sam kept his eyes focused scanning around for any strange people. The last thing he wanted to have happen was to end up in jail for getting into a fight or worse…dead. To keep his paranoia down he focused on Mercedes and his baby, _'I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?'_ he thought to himself. A lopsided smile appeared on his face at the thought of holding his son or daughter. Suddenly a flash of headlights blinded him for a second as he squinted to see who the driver was.

"Puck?"

The engine shut off as the door to a pick up truck opened. Out stepped Puck in a pair of sunglasses, his trademark Mohawk no longer visible. He stood there with his hands on his hips as if he were Superman. Sam laughed at his friends' humor.

"Dude I cannot seriously believe you're here! What the fuck man?" Puck asked enveloping Sam into a hug.

"I told you I'm here for Mercedes. She lives here now."

"I know, I haven't gotten to see her… but why are you chasing after her?"

Sam looked down a moment, "Well… you're going to find this interesting… I'm going to be a dad soon," he replied with a weak smile.

"WHAT! Shut the fuck up! The Biebster impregnated Mama Jones? Holy fuck man! Seriously?"

"Seriously… she's having my baby," he said amazed at his words.

"That's…congrats man!" he hugged him again, "But wait… if you and Mama are making swirly babies why are you chasing after her?"

Sam's eyes grew dark, "That's why I'm here. She doesn't know that I know the baby's mine."

"Well who does she think it belongs too? Did she have a gang bang and doesn't know? Dude if I missed out on a Lima gangbang-" Sam cut him off.

"It's not like that. I happened to put two and two together when she was in town last week and confronted her but she lied to me. So now I'm here to know why she lied and to get my girl and my kid back."

Puck fake sniffed, "That's so beautiful man. Like motherfucking poetry…"

"So can I stay with you?"

"You can stay"

The flashing red light on the answering machine caught Burt's attention. He and Carole had finally been back home after all the meetings he had to go through in DC. Pressing play he let the machine go through all the 15 voicemails that he had as he put some groceries away in the house.

"Sam?" he called only to receive no response, "Must be out with the Glee kids…"

"Mr. Hummel… this is Principal Figgins from McKinley. I'm calling you because you were listed on Samuel Evans's contact emergency list as his guardian," Burt froze at the message, "Mr. Evans hasn't been in school for over a week. Since there was no advance notice left I decided to call you personally. I understand you're busy with elections at the moment but if you could…"

Burt blocked out the rest of the call as he started running around through the house looking for Sam. When he found nothing that hinted to boy's presence he started to panic. He burst into Sam's room only to find it empty and clean. Burt had to calm himself down before he caused himself to have a heart attack. His eyes lingered onto a piece of paper. Cautiously he walked over to the bed and picked it up.

_Dear Burt and Carole,_

_I'm truly sorry that I have to do this so informally. But as you can probably clearly see I ain't there. I don't know when I'm coming back. Sorry if this is sending off red flags and stuff but I'm in LA… ok well I'm on my way to LA. I have a good reason though! Ok… well you are probably going to think I've gone crazy but I'm in LA looking for Mercedes. I found out she's pregnant… it's mine… and I'm being a man about it and doing the right thing. I totally get if you're not going to understand my situation but understand that I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't important. I'll be in touch once I square things with her._

_Sincerely,_

_Sam_

_P.S.S.A__…PS… PLEASE don't tell my parents! I want to tell them myself. If they call asking about me just tell them I'm ok. I promise I will tell them myself and about my kid… OMG! PLEASE don't mention my kid to them either. My mother is going to kill me so bad that in my next life I'll just die suddenly. Thank you!_

* * *

**Song "I Don't Wanna Cry" by Mariah Carey**

**Authors Note: Thank you guys for the many reviews! It means a lot that you're enjoying the story and don't worry Mercedes and her fool status will not last long. Thanks for reading and keep reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sam knew there was no way she'd open the door for him if she saw his face. Quickly thinking he looked around for the nearest store that he could find. His eyes landed on a corner store that was selling flowers out front. He swiftly walked down the street and purchased a bouquet of purple orchids. After paying the man he checked his reflection in a nearby car mirror before walking back to her apartment. The building was kind of old looking and the elevator had been out of order, "She shouldn't be walking all those flights," he said to himself as he headed for the stairs. He heard voices coming down the stairs as he continued up. Panicking his placed the bouquet near his face and turned his head.

It was just some random group of people.

He sighed continuing his journey to her floor. A thought had crossed him mind just now. What if she wasn't home? What if he had to wait all day for her only for her to see him and run away? Sam decided to take his chances as he stood in front of her door. Bracing himself he slowly knocked on the door. When he received no response he knocked again harder.

"Who is it?" he heard her voice say.

"Delivery for Ms. Jones," he said trying to disguise his voice as much as possible holding the flowers up near the peephole.

"One minute"

The door to her apartment swung open as she let out a gasp, "These are for you," he said with a smirk. Mercedes quickly tried to slam the door on him but he caught it in enough time. Using all of his weight he pushed the door open and stepped in. Mercedes backed away from him as if he was going to harm her. Sam's face frowned at the thought of her thinking he had malicious intentions.

"Get out!" She yelled

"No!"

"Get out Sam! If you don't leave I'm calling the police," she said trying to make a run for the bathroom. In her state she moved a lot slower than before, which he used to his advantage.

He grabbed her arm, "You are not calling anyone! I didn't come all this year to get arrested," he said sternly.

"You must have because you're insane! You're insane Sam!"

"No the only person who is insane here is you Mercedes!"

Trying to think on her feet she grabbed something off the table and threw it in his direction. Sam ducked to avoid the collision. Unfortunately for him Mercedes used that moment to slip away and into her bathroom, locking the door behind her. Sam threw the orchids down on the ground angrily. He started to bang on the door but it didn't work, _'You're scarring her… she's in a fragile state,'_ he reminded himself. Sam calmed down and took deep breaths.

"Mercedes… please open the door," he pleaded

"No! I already called the police, now go away!"

"Please baby…open the door…" he said on the verge of tears.

Mercedes sat on the toilet clutching her cell in her hand. She had started to hyperventilate because she was so frightened. What did he want from her? How did he even find her? _'This is crazy! He's crazy!'_ she told herself, _'But this is Sam we're talking about. He would never hurt you despite how angry he is right now.'_

"Open the door," she heard him whisper, "I just want to talk to you. Please I'm desperate. I traveled so far just to talk to you in person. I mean you or the baby no harm. Please Mercedes…"

Her guilt was starting to eat at her. She knew that if she kept on ignoring him he would just beg and plea further. Besides she couldn't stay in her bathroom forever and it's not like she could easily get out of her window. Standing up with a heavy heart she walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Sam stood there staring at her with red tear filled eyes. He leaned against the door frame and let himself cry for a few minutes. Mercedes didn't know what to do, so instead she just watched him cry. When he finally got himself together he brought his head back up to look at her.

"It's mine isn't it?" He asked

Mercedes face grew hard, "No it's not. I cheated remember?"

"No you didn't. I don't know why you lied or why you're lying now, but I know that's my baby in there," he said gesturing towards her stomach.

Mercedes stood with her hand on her back for support as she protectively rubbed her stomach, "Sam… don't do this. Don't cause yourself more pain."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How far long are you? I calculated like 4 months or something…"

She sighed, "I'm 19 weeks Sam…"

Sam bit his lip as he fought the urge to cry again, "WHY! Why would you keep this from me? How long were you going to keep this from me? Did you think I wasn't going to find out at some point?"

**_Three Months Ago_**

_ She had already been in her classes for a few weeks and was still feeling amazed by it. UCLA was not the same as McKinley high. Here people minded their own business and didn't single you out for being different. Hell she already had seen impromptu student's playing music on campus. Although music was her light she decided to minor in it and make Business Management her major as a safety. With all the excitement from moving to LA and signing up with Illuminate Records little things hadn't gotten passed her._

_Her period was one of them…_

_ Mercedes had lived off campus is small efficiency apartment a few blocks away from the school. She had been so caught up with her new job and classes that she couldn't remember the last time her period came. For awhile she shook it off to just stress and that there was nothing to freak out about. But now it was almost July and she hadn't seen any changes. Now she was starting to panic. Her first instant was to call Kurt or Tina, but her pride had held her back. The next person that came to mind was Sam. She couldn't call him, not after the way she left things. Besides what would he even say? He's still in high school! He already had spent his junior year homeless, the last thing he needed was to spend his senior year a father. How did she even let herself get into this mess? They had always been so careful…except that one time in the classroom. She was certain that if she was indeed pregnant that it had to have happened then. Glancing down at the stick in her hand it hauntingly laughed at her._

**_Pregnant_**

_ Her body tensed as her fingers gripped the test tightly. Hot tears started rolling down her cheeks. She started to nervously laugh to herself, "Of all the karma's," she said. Someone had it in for her. Just when she was getting her new life together this happens. Things could be worse but right now this was worse. She slid a hand down to her stomach as she started to picture Sam. She had to tell him. Regardless of how she felt about it he had a right to know. It was unfair to her and their unborn baby that he at least didn't get the opportunity to know it. Now whether he wanted to be supportive or reject her all together was his choice._

"Sam… I wasn't keeping anything from you intentionally. I just didn't know how to tell you," she stated as tears started to form, "I honestly didn't know I was pregnant when I left. I found out a month after I had already been living in LA."

"Then why didn't you come back home? You could have called me as soon as you found out! I would have been there for you."

"Did you forget how we ended-"

"No! It's how you ended things. I was prepared to make the distance work. You didn't even want to try!"

"What was I supposed to do Sam? Call you up and say 'Oh hey there Sam. I know we just broke up and this is crazy but I'm pregnant with your baby?' I don't think so!"

"Yes, you could have said exactly that and any anger I would have felt would have been tossed out the window. I can't believe you would keep our baby from me."

"It's not your baby Sam, it's my baby."

Sam slammed his hand against the wall, "How dare you! You didn't create him or her on your fucking own Mercedes. I have just as much rights as my DNA to that child will allow."

"Just because it's your DNA doesn't make you a father, it just makes you the sperm donor."

Sam froze at her words. Is that what she really thought of him? No… she didn't, she was just trying to hurl as many insults and verbal punches as she could to get him to back off. He wasn't going to back down, not this time. This time he had even more to fight for. He had to fight for his rights and for their baby.

"Everyone you know is here in Lima. How were you planning on raising a baby all by yourself?" he questioned

"Sam it's the year 2012, there are plenty of single mothers that don't have support."

"But you do! Those women are very unfortunate that they have to go through it alone but you are willingly allowing yourself to be a single parent."

"But what support can you give? You're still in high school Sam! You don't even come from a stable environment."

Sam winced at her last statement, "What does that have to do with anything? That's between my parents. I am my own person."

"I don't want to end up like your parents! I don't want to be up all night worrying about if I have enough money to feed you or our child. I don't want to go through that."

"So you think that by doing this alone with no support whatsoever that it won't happen to you?"

Mercedes clamped her mouth shut. Sam was right. With or without him she still had a chance of providing an unstable household. She didn't know what to expect from him. She knew that she needed to be as strong as possible and not give into her weakness. But what if her strength was her weakness? Sam's honesty and logic lingered in her mind for a bit longer. She knew she was losing the battle that she had started between them.

"I'm sorry…" she said

"Come again?"

"I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I lied to you."

Sam softened his face, "But why did you do it?"

"I was scarred Sam. At first the whole long distance thing seemed like such a great idea. Then there were those fears that even though we were miles apart we would still encounter other people."

"So you didn't have faith in us?"

"No… I wanted too and I tried so hard too but the odds were wearing me down. I thought about how loyal and dedicated you are to me and that you would probably spend any chance you got to see me."

"You know I would, that's what someone who loves and cares about you does."

"But that doesn't mean its right! I couldn't expect you to follow my dreams. Yes I was moving to LA and yes I knew you would have supported me but I wouldn't have felt right knowing you were doing all of this for me and not you."

He grabbed her hands and held them to his chest, "What I have is yours and what's yours is mine, plain and simple. I would have found my own way. I have a lot of hard work and good ethics behind me. I would have been fine."

"But I wasn't fine."

"Baby… I can't believe you. So all this time, all of this was because you were scarred? What happened to the confident Mercedes Jones that I grew to know and love? What happened? Because you sound like a different person right now."

"I've always been insecure Sam, always! You don't know what it's like for me. I've always been the fat girl or the glee loser. People never thought I was attractive."

"That was the assholes at McKinley, you know that."

"But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt! Then there's you, you're so handsome. For heaven sakes you dated Quinn and Santana! Two of the most popular Cheerio girls."

Sam shook his head, "If you're trying to say I settled for you that isn't true. Why would you think that of me?"

"I didn't say I thought you settled for me. People think you settled for me. You don't know how good it felt to know I for once got the good guy. That it wasn't Quinn, Santana, Rachel or whatever. It was me. I got the best out of everyone and at the same time I always looked over my shoulder as if this was a dream I was going to wake up from."

Mercedes was now sobbing uncontrollably. She squeezed her hand out of Sam's to wipe her eyes. He took the chance and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. He had no idea that she had felt like that all this time. He was mentally cursing himself for never noticing her insecurities in the first place. Had he known early maybe they wouldn't have ended up this way. Using his weight he gently pushed her, walking them towards her bed. She laid down curling into his side.

"I know you hate me so badly. I hate me too," she whispered.

Sam closed his eyes, "I don't… hate you. At least not anymore. Am I very angry, yes, but I'll get over it."

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that if I just let everything be and not drag you into this that everything would be ok. Instead I continued to hurt you even though I just wanted to protect you."

"You can't always protect me. At some point I'm going to need to protect you."

"Everything keeps failing around me. I know most of the time I cause it but everything just keeps happening all at once…"

"Cedes?"

Mercedes shifted her head to look up at him, "Yes?"

"I want to let you know that I'm glad you're pregnant. If it eases any stress off of you I just want you to know that I love you both."

She clutched his shirt tightly as she felt his hand come down to her side. Slowly he slid his hand under her shirt and stroked her belly. A smile appeared on his face as he rubbed her stomach in slow circles. Mercedes sighed and rolled on her back. She lifted her shirt a little as Sam fixed his gaze on her stomach. Suddenly he felt a jerk near his hand. Scarred he quickly snatched his hand away.

"What was that?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"The baby knows you're here."

Mercedes grabbed his hand and brought it back to the spot where it was originally. She held it in place as they both felt another movement. Sam's smile widened as he bent down and laid his head on her stomach. She softly stroked his hair as he tried to listen to the baby move around.

Sam couldn't believe what he was feeling. Normally in his mind the first thing that would pop up at the sight of movement in someone's stomach was the movie Aliens. Instead he was overcome with joy knowing that his baby was alive and healthy. He closed his eyes planting a kiss on her stomach.

"I'm not missing anymore of this," he announced.

"Sam…" Mercedes warned

"No, no more Mercedes. No more keeping me away from what belongs to me. This is my baby too and I want to be there for the both of you, for better or worse."

"What about school Sam?"

He sat up looking her in the eyes, "Well either you move back to Lima or I'm moving in."


	11. Chapter 11

Morning couldn't have come faster for Mercedes. She had been having this stressful dream that Sam had gone crazy and hitchhiked his way to LA to find her. Feeling a shift in her bed she stiffened. A tanned arm slung over her griping her body close to theirs. She shifted her position to face the person next to her.

Sam!

_'It was real?'_ she thought to herself. His blonde blocks were sticking up every way possible as he lightly snored. She reached her hand up slowly and brushed some strands of his hair out of his face. Sam started to smile as he cracked one eye open to look at her.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered before sitting up in bed.

Mercedes eyes traveled down his body. "Sam…why are you naked?" she asked looking quickly back up.

He scratched his head, "I always sleep naked babe, you know this," he yawned.

"Yeah but… it's been awhile…and…"

"And what?" he asked arching an eyebrow, "It's not like you've never seen my piece before. After all it's what got you pregnant," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes at him, "You're such a mess."

"So what are your plans for today? Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat."

"Well I have a class this afternoon today."

"Sweet, in what?"

"Theater Lit. It's just the studies of theater, acting and scripts. It's really boring."

"Sounds fascinating to me… why don't you go take a shower and I'll get breakfast ready."

Mercedes lightly nodded as she slowly got up from the bed. She stretched her back before rubbing her swollen stomach. Sam watched her careful admiring her exposed belly. For some strange reason seeing her in a pregnant state were both fascinating and a turn on for him. He watched her walk off towards the bathroom. He could have sworn she had a slight waddle to her walk as well. Smiling to himself he got up to go make breakfast.

Once her shower had been over with she quickly wrapped a towel around her hair and put on her rob. Stepping out of the bathroom she smelled something smoky. Her eyes immediately darted towards her small kitchen. There Sam stood in all his naked glory with nothing but a shameful apron on was attempting to make her 'breakfast'.

"What the hell are you doing?" she yelled

He turned around a looked at her sheepishly, "Well… I was trying to make toast in the oven because I didn't see a toaster and well long story short, I burnt it," he said showing off his handy work, "BUT! It's not completely ruined because if I scrape these parts off here it's still edible."

"Sam…" she laughed, "Thanks for trying."

He smiled and kissed her forehead, "Thanks babe"

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Put some clothes on!"

He chuckled as he placed his scraped toast on a plate. Mercedes walked off towards her dresser forgetting about Sam in the kitchen. She slipped off her robe and went to go search for underwear. Sam had stopped fumbling in the kitchen long enough to take in her naked body. Not being able to resist himself he quietly walked over to her slipping his arms around her. She tensed at him but it quickly went away as he planted kisses on her shoulder and neck.

"Sam…" she breathed

"Mmm… you look so good. I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen you naked. You're so beautiful," he whispered in her ear cupping her sensitive breast.

"Sam… we can't…"

"Why not?"

"We're not even together"

"Yes we are," he whispered

"Sam…"

"Nope, from now on until I die I'm always going to be yours," he said more sternly grinding up against her backside.

Mercedes let out a soft moan as she felt the tension grow in between her legs. She turned herself around slowly as Sam's lips caught hers. He gently pushed her up against the wall rubbing his length against her stomach. Reaching down he started to stroke her heat. She gripped the back of his head as he slid his fingers inside of her. Letting out a gasp she threw her head back as his fingers started to quicken their pace. With her body being so sensitive she was already on the verge of coming. He could feel her tense around him so he quickly pulled his fingers out. Moving his lips from her mouth he kissed a trail to her dark nipples. He gently sucked on them as Mercedes started moaning his name. Not being able to take the ache she started to stroke herself until Sam grabbed her hand.

"Don't…"

Obeying him she let him guide her over to the bed. He quickly undid the apron and tossed it on the floor; laying her down he positioned himself over her. Sam had softly grinded the head against her hot opening, dipping the tip in and out. Mercedes legs clenched at the sensual torture he was putting her through.

"Mmm… we need to get a condom…" she said

He lifted his head to stare into her eyes, "What for? The deeds already been done"

Without waiting for her response he slid into her. Pressing his abdomen against her pelvis he made sure to not put a lot of pressure against her stomach. At first his thrust were long and soft until she had started to dig her nails into his back. Leaning over carefully he gently bit one of her sensitive nipples as he quickened his pace. He could feel her walls start to pull on him as he pushed deeper inside of her. "Sam!" she cried wrapping her legs around him. Mercedes threw her head back as he continued to pleasure her. The fullness she felt as he continued to pump in and out of her was putting her over the edge. Her stomach started to tighten as she was preparing herself to orgasm. Gripping his hair with force she screamed loudly as she came. The feel of her becoming wetter was enough to trigger Sam's own orgasm. Burying his head into her shoulder he shoved himself deep and hard inside of her filling her with his hot semen. After being still for a few minutes, panting and shaking, he lifted himself up to brush some her wet hair from her face. He kissed her gently smiling at the sight of her.

"I love you so much," he said

"…I…I love you too," she replied

He started to feel tears form in his eyes, "I've missed you so much like crazy, you don't even have a clue. My heart ached for you since the day you left. I knew somehow someway that we would end back up in each others arms. That day couldn't come soon enough."

"Oh Sam…"

"Let me finish. I can't promise you billions of dollars or everything materialistic you could ever want. But I can promise to love and honor you forever. Will you let me Mercedes? Will you let me love and honor you for the rest of our lives?"

She stared into his wide green orbs. She loved this man with all her heart and the last thing she wanted was to throw what they had away. In her heart she knew that his words were true.

"Yes…"

He leaned down to kiss her, "Well then… until we can do things the proper way think of me as your husband, please?"

"Sam…" she said looking at him, "That's a really serious commitment."

"And a baby's not? We're not exactly doing things traditionally or by the book at the moment."

"A baby is one thing. You can have a child without commitment."

"You don't want to marry me?" he asked, his voice filled with hurt.

"It's not that I don't. I just don't want us rushing into things."

"You said you wanted a stable home. Well this is the first step to stability. You know I would never hurt you and that I would never cheat on you."

"I'll have to think about it…"

He sighed, "Fine but in the mean time I'll disregard your indecisiveness. Therefore everyone and everything will know they can't mess with this family. No matter how insecure, indecisive, untraditionally and unconventional it is, in the end we will be a family; first by blood and then legally. If you don't want to marry me right away, fine. But I will hold onto my title regardless."

"You're being pushy Sam," she said propping herself up on her elbows.

He shook his head, "Oh I think not. The problem with me was yes I was assertive but I still let you have complete control over the situation and look where that got us," she averted her eyes, "You ran away from me, pregnant none the less, and expected me to skip through a field of roses over it! Had I actually stood my ground, fought harder and kept making my intentions clearer you wouldn't have run scarred. That was my first mistake. However I don't like making them more than once so from here on out you don't get to decided 100% what goes on between us. Especially because there's an Evan's in there," he brushed his hand against her stomach, "Which means I need to be a stronger better man for our kid. If I can't do it then what example are they ever going to have a strong male in their life? I don't mean to be pushy or make you feel like I'm manipulating you in any way possible, I just want you to feel secure. This thing that has been going on between us has went on too long and I will be damned if you push me away again."

Mercedes was speechless. She had nothing to follow up with his rant. She just stared at him as he stared at her, never breaking his gaze. All she could do was nod her head slowly. He smiled and kissed her. She had never seen him in this light before. Maybe it was because of their baby that he matured himself? Maybe it was just part of his underlining persona after all he had been through in the past year. Either way gone was the goofy and immature Sam that would awkwardly and passively assert his feelings. She watched him as he lovingly caressed her stomach.

Even though his rant seemed like it went on forever he felt like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. He knew he came off mean but he couldn't help it. He was so scarred to lose them again. If he had to play a little dirty he was fully prepared to wash his clothes later. All of his focus right now was on her belly. When he last saw her didn't look as pregnant as she had now, then again she wasn't also naked. It filled his heart with pride to know that a piece of him was growing inside her. Silently Sam was making vows and promises to always love and protect that little person. This was going on his top ten list of things that he loved more than anything; Mercedes being number one, music being pushed to number three and their baby rightfully taking number two.

"Sam, I have to get ready for class," she said breaking him out his thoughts.

"Oh right, ok," he replied peeling himself away from her.

She stood up to resume getting dressed, "What are you going to do today?"

"Hang out with Puck for a bit and go job searching," he said nonchalantly.

"Job searching? We talked about this!"

"And we didn't come to a decision. I gave you two choices, either we stay here in LA or we're moving back to Lima. There's no in between. So in the meantime until you can decide where we're going to live I'm going to get a job here."

She was angry but she couldn't really be angry at him for wanting to help. Sam wasn't the type of person to just freeload and think everything was going to be ok. He had to make sure that his family was taken care of. The words had sounded surreal in his head.

He and Mercedes were starting a family

That meant a lifetime of responsibility. The old Sam would have frowned upon having to put so much effort into things. The new Sam who had to go through being homeless, stripping to help his family pay bills, internally age from 17 to 27, that now was facing parenthood head on, knew that in order for things to work out between them he had to pull as much of his weight as he could. He was painfully aware that Mercedes had a one up on him. She came from a very well educated background and succeeded at graduating high school and was now in college. Meanwhile he had struggled to maintain a C or B average due to his dyslexia. His family wasn't millionaires and now with the baby on the way, the idea of him seeing his high school diploma anytime soon was a slim to none. In his mind she was settling for him, not the other way around. But he didn't dwell on it or let his disadvantages bring him down. Instead he would focus on what he was good at and what he could offer her. His next thoughts were on looking for a job. What job could he actually get that was enough, for now, to keep them afloat? Things were going smoothly now but he was aware that they were going to get harder.

Sam had taken the bus to Puck's apartment but to his dismay Puck was out working. He quickly jotted down a note and left it on Puck's fridge as he retrieved his bags. His next steps were to hit the pavement in search of work. He knew this was going to be a long process.

Lima's hot days were nothing compared to the sun that was beating down on him. He had so far in the past 5 days stopped at 30 different locations, most turning him down because of his lack of experience and some for his age. Taking a break from his mission he stopped in a store to buy himself something to drink. Quickly paying for his purchase he walked out and over to a park across the street. He was taking in the sight of pedestrians in LA. His eyes had wandered over to the construction that was going on in the park. Curious Sam got up to get a closer look at the action. He noticed that some of the people were wearing 'Crew' shirts on. He wondered if this was for a movie or a concert.

"Hey you!" he heard someone yell

Sam whipped around quickly, "Me?" he asked

A scuffy looking man was staring at him, "Yeah you. What are you doing?"

"Oh… I was just seeing what kind of work you were doing," he replied nervously.

The man had been sizing him up, "How much can you lift?"

He thought for a moment, "A lot… I'm in very good shape."

"I see… we could use another pair of hands if you want it"

"Are you offering me a job?"

"I'm offering you a start"

Sam smiled, "I'll take it"

It was already almost 11 at night and Mercedes hadn't heard from Sam. Once it had started to get dark out she started calling him constantly, only to receive no answer. Now she laid worried on her bed thinking about the worse things that could happen to him, "What if he was mugged and is lying in an alley beaten somewhere?" she asked aloud. She had been scanning the internet on her laptop to see if there were any death reports for the day. When she found none that fit Sam's description she had tried for the next thing. Call after call all the local hospitals had not received an unidentified young blonde male. The sound of keys jiggling had caught her off guard as she tossed her laptop onto the bed and stood up making her way to the door. A very tired and sweaty Sam had stepped in with his duffle bag and guitar case. He gave her a weak smile as she gave him deathly stares. His eyes softened at her state. She looked like he had been crying and out of her mind. He was afraid to ask her what was wrong so decided to ponder. When she said nothing to him he figured he'd break the silence.

"You would not believe the day I had…" he started

"Really?" she snapped, "And how would I know? It's not like you bothered to call me."

Now he knew why she was mad, "Aw…baby I'm so sorry. Time kind of flew by and then my phone died. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"Worry me? Me worrying was an understatement. I thought something bad happened to you! I thought you were dead! Seeing as no one really knows you're here I was calling every hospital I could find to see if they had found your body. Do you know what kind of panic I was in when you didn't come home or return my calls?"

He set his things down by the door and stepped over to her. Her lip started to quiver as she looked away from him. He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed the side of her face. Sam pressed his forehead against hers as she continued to hold her protest.

"I didn't know I had worried you that badly baby. Are you ok?"

"…I'm ok… just don't scare me like that! I hate the feeling that I was put in. I don't know what I would do if something had really happened to you."

"I promise to check my phone every hour when I'm out late, ok?"

"Ok… so why were you out so late?"

He smiled, "I got a job…"

"You got a what? REALLY!"

"Yeah really"

"What are you doing? It's not a scam job is it where you're selling things door to door."

"No it's an honest job. I got offered as hired help on a film crew."

"Get out! Seriously? What do you have to do?"

"The usual, handy stuff like fixing things and constructing things. They're for movie and TV sets. I guess I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time."

"I'll say… so is that what you were doing all night?"

"Yeah… I get my first paycheck at the end of the week. The pays pretty decent, especially for me. Last time I had seen money that good was when I was stripping."

"I'm really happy for you."

"See I told you baby, I'm gonna take care of you."

She leaned up to kiss him, "Well Mr. Employed, you need to take shower because you smell very bad and it's offensive in here. I made dinner awhile ago so your plates in the fridge."

He laughed, "Thanks love"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Today was a big day for Sam and Mercedes. It was her 20th week ultrasound. She was hoping that they would find out the sex of the baby since her last visit the baby had been shy. Sam was over the moon at the thought of seeing their baby on screen for the first time. The only time he came close was when his mom would show him sonogram pictures of his siblings. Unlike Lima they rode the bus everywhere. He had hoped that they would get a car before the baby arrived because transit was no joke. He carefully draped his arm over her shoulder as they walked into the doctor's office. A few women stared at Sam as Mercedes scrunched her faces at them. She went to go check in with the receptionist.

"Is this your first?" a lady next to Sam asked.

"Yeah…" he replied

"Do you know what you're having?"

"Nope, that's what we're here to find out."

"Aw… that's so sweet. Your babies are going to be so gorgeous. Mixed babies are so adorable!" she squealed

Sam arched and eyebrow at the women and turned his attention back to Mercedes. He stood up to help her sit down in the tight seeming office chair. She folded her hands over her stomach looking around the room.

"Excited?" she asked

"Very," he smiled, "I can't wait to see him or her"

She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, "What do you think it's going to be?"

"Honestly don't care as long as it's healthy and doesn't grow into a teenager in less than a week?"

"What…"

"Twilight reference."

She laughed, "I'll be honest I'm kind of hoping for a boy," she said staring forward.

"A boy, really? I thought you'd be jumping for joy for a little girl that you could turn into a mini Diva version of yourself."

"Nah, girls are so much trouble"

"Ain't that the truth…ouch!" he said rubbing his arm, "You're worth it though," he flirted

"Jones?" a nurse called

They both stood up at the same time as Mercedes clasped her hand into his. Following the nurse into the back she directed them towards an empty room. Sam helped Mercedes get up on the examining table as she laid back and made herself comfortable. While waiting for the doctor Sam decided to keep himself occupied by poking her belly, only to receive kicks from the baby.

"Stop that! You're irritating the baby and you're driving me nuts," she hissed

"No I'm not the baby likes it. It likes when Daddy pokes at their rental home."

"Rental home?"

"Well you don't plan on keeping him or her in there until college do you?"

"If only," she sighed.

The doctor walking in ended their conversation, "Hello Mercedes… this is someone new. Hi I'm doctor Warren," she said extending her hand.

"Hi I'm Sam Evans, Mercedes husband," he replied with pride.

Mercedes glared at him as the doctor looked at them curiously, "Oh?" she said

"It's a long story…he's also the baby's father," Mercedes stated.

"You're looking a bit larger for your development"

"Is that a bad thing? I thought I'm supposed to gain weight?"

"You are but this change is a little larger. None the less it's not something to worry about too much, it just means you might have more amniotic fluid in the sac," the doctor said, "Well then mom and dad, are we ready to see baby Evans then?"

Sam's ears perked up at the baby's new name, "Very!" he exclaimed.

Dr. Warren turned on the ultrasound monitor while she was preparing Mercedes stomach. Sam looked amused at the goop being squirted on her belly. He reached over to touch it until Mercedes slapped his hand with a warning look. The doctor was staring intently at the screen.

"Well Mercedes, your baby is looking healthy… "

"Is there something wrong?" She asked. She felt Sam grip her hand slightly.

"Well it looks like your baby had a hidden roommate"

"A what?" Sam asked

"It looks like you guys are having a set of twins!" she exclaimed

Mercedes felt Sam twitch for a second, "TWINS? There was only one baby in there a few weeks ago, where did the other one come from?"

"Well it looks like she was hiding behind her brother."

"We're having a boy and a girl…" Sam stated in amazement.

"Oh hell no! I thought pushing out one baby was bad enough but now two? I'm going to need stitches for years."

The doctor laughed, "It'll be ok Mercedes. Now that we know the cause of the sudden weight gain we can work more closely with you. This also means that you will be seeing me more often than usual."

"Why?"

"Well even though twins are very common-"

"Stevie and Stacy are twins," Sam added

"It does make your pregnancy a little more risky than usual. Judging by the size of both babies they are a little small for their size. But don't worry things will change quickly over the next few months and they'll start putting on more weight."

"Wow… twins…" was all Sam could respond with.

"Do you have any names picked out yet?"

Sam looked at Mercedes, "We haven't dis-"

"Isaiah… the boys name is Isaiah. We don't have a name for the girl yet."

"Isaiah?" Sam asked curiously

Dr. Warren cleared her throat, "You can make an appointment with the receptionist out front. I want to see you five weeks from now to see how the babies are doing."

"Thank you Dr. Warren"

"No problem, it's been a pleasure Mercedes. I'll make copies of the sonogram for you and leave it up front."

The doctor exited the room leaving Sam and Mercedes alone to themselves. She could sense that Sam was irritated with her. Wiping off her stomach she decided to acknowledge Sam's mood, "It's just a name…"

"Just a name? It's our sons name and you already picked one out for him already without telling me?" he asked angrily

"Sam, this was before you even knew I was pregnant. Last time I checked I thought I'd be doing this alone, so forgive me for wanting to give my kid a name."

Sam tried to calm his nerves, "Fine… but I want to name our daughter"

"SAM!"

"What? Why can't I? You got to name our son so I only think its fair I get to name our daughter."

Mercedes had a look of dread on her face. Her mind wandered at the names that Sam would attempt to pick for their little girl. She shuttered at the idea of her having to walk around with a ridiculous Na'vi related name. Knowing Sam he was going to push hard for that.

"Sam… please… please for the sake of our daughter's social life please take into consideration the impact a name has on a person."

"Thanks Mercedes, I'm glad to know you trust my judgment," he scoffed

"I know you! If I had discussed boys name with you our son would be named Jake Sully or Captain America."

"Aw… but you have to think that Captain Evans would make an awesome name."

"NO!"

"You aren't just seeing this vision like I am."

"We are not starting a mini Avengers family."

Sam pouted, "It would have been so cool…"

"Sam… sweetie I have to get going because I have to be at Illuminate today to lay down some vocals. I'll see you when I get home?"

"Ok"

Sam slyly walked over to her wrapping his arms around her waist. He tenderly kissed her as she groaned against his mouth, "Not here Sam… this is a public place," she breathed. He smiled at her and kissed her head before crouching down to kiss her belly, "I still can't believe we're having a baby, two for the matter!" he exclaimed before planting kisses over her stomach.

Mercedes had swiped her badge at the security desk before heading into the elevators. She loved her new job! If it hadn't been for Sam she would have made it here. She'd hate to think how she would have had to struggle had Sam not did what he did. Those were the moments when she loved that he would go against her wishes and take his own actions. She smiled brightly as she was greeted by Travis, the producer.

"Hey girl! You're getting so big," Travis said hugging her while rubbing her stomach.

"Thanks, hit my 20th week. Just found out I'm having twins."

"Twins! You're going to have your hands full."

"I think I can manage," she said dropping her bag on the couch.

"Well I've got an extra pair of hands if you need them," he flirted.

She overlooked his response, "Sam and I will just have to work out a sleeping schedule. No big deal."

Travis was an average sized guy; although he would seem short compared to Sam. He had arm tattoo arm sleeves and a lip piercing. Despite his name he did look like a lesser version of drummer Travis Barker. He was the first person at the company to make her feel welcomed and the first friend she made.

"Whose Sam?" he asked taking a seat at the mixing board.

"He's the babies' father…"

He looked at her then back at the board, "So… nothing serious, just obligations?"

"Well… I mean I told you that the father of my baby and I were broken up. He came back and I now we're together."

"You don't sound so confident in that," he stated looking her in the eye.

"It's not that I'm not confident the situation is just a little weird," she sucked in her breath, "I lied to him about the babies, he found out and wanted to pick up where we left off. He's a good man. I love him dearly…" a smile crept on her face.

"I see… so he came looking for you? So he's not from here?"

"Oh heaven's no, he's from back home in Ohio. But temporally he's staying here with me until we can work things out and go from there."

"Hmm," he said, "Well let's get started shall we. Your beautiful voice isn't going to magically appear on this track."

She laughed, "What song are we working on?"

"Actually I wanted to try something new," he said standing up walking towards her.

"Like what?"

"Well I was working on a song and I wanted you to sing lead vocals on it," he moved closer, "Like a demo? I'm 100% percent sure it's going to be a hit. I just need to convince others. Say you'll sing the demo for me?"

"Um… I don't know. Doesn't my contract have me strictly doing background vocals?"

"It does but since I'm the producer I can let you do whatever I want as long as you agree to it," he felt his body grow warm as he turned away from her quickly, "It'd be nice for you to have some solo songs in your own demo for the future."

"Sounds awesome"

"Great let's get started! Oh, since you'll be doing that and the vocals you may have to work a little bit later than usual. I hope that's ok for you?"

"Its fine, I'm not opposed to overtime."

"Ok, just wanted to make sure it didn't interfere with things at home with Sam…"

She waved her hand and laughed, "Sam works late most nights anyways. At least I won't have to sit in the apartment alone waiting up for him."

"Aw, that's a shame. Well I'll keep you busy so Sam doesn't have to worry about you being alone."

"You're so sweet Travis, thank you."

"My pleasure…"


	13. Death Warning!

Chapter 13

**2 Weeks Later**

Things had been going great between the two of them. Mercedes loved more and more each day that Sam was around. He was very attentive and loving towards her. Sam even had went out and got baby books, despite his dyslexia he was enjoying reading 'Me and My Twins', 'So You Found Out You're Having Twins', and 'Twin Daddy = Twin Doodie'. Sometimes she would have a temporarily moment of guilt about the hell she put their relationship through. Sam had only been in LA for 3 weeks but he was adapting pretty quickly. His job working as film crew paid pretty decent despite the fact that he didn't have his diploma or GED. He contributed to groceries and bills, but the rest went into a savings account. Sam had hoped that the money could be used to buy them a car and the rest for their babies.

In the past two weeks Mercedes had started to pop out more. One minute she could tie her shoes the next she was running to Sam every time they went somewhere for him to tie them. Sam had installed a mirror behind the front door so that Mercedes could take progressive belly shots of herself. He loved taking candid photos of her belly. On one of her photo sessions he managed to get in on the action. Sam was thrilled when he changed his Facebook profile picture to that of him with his arms wrapped around Mercedes exposed belly planting a kiss on her cheek. Unfortunately he didn't really think through posting the picture. By the end of the night he had over a dozen messages from everyone including his family.

Sam's eyes glanced over at the ID on his phone, "…Mom… how are you?" he asked nervously.

"SAMUEL DWIGHT EVANS ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!" She screamed into the phone.

He held it away from his ear for a brief second, "I don't know what you're talking about Ma," he lied.

"Are you serious right now Samuel? WHY IS THERE A PICTURE OF YOU AND MERCEDES PREGNANT ON THAT DAMN FACE BLOG?"

"Please stop screaming… you're giving me a headache"

"A headache? Oh I'm sorry let me just tone it down while I try to process the fact that my son is posting obscene pictures on the internet!"

"They're not obscene… it's just a belly shot."

"Just a belly shot? Samuel… I know I raised you better than this."

"And you did a good job because I'm handling my business."

"What business? How do you even know the baby's yours? You guys have been broken up! It could be anybody's. You're so gullible…"

Sam was pinching the bridge of his nose to keep himself calm, "I'm not gullible! The babies are mine. I got her pregnant, not someone else. What kind of person do you think Mercedes is?"

"The kind that doesn't get pregnant! Oh Sammy… why didn't you tell us? Why have you been keeping this from us?"

"I wanted to do things on my terms," he lied, "I was going to tell you eventually. Mercedes and I have just been adjusting to this. I'd really appreciate it if you had my back mom…"

"Sammy… I…I don't know what to say. You're so young. You're throwing your life away all in name of a foolish romance-"

"It's not foolish! I love her and she loves me. Whether you like it or not our babies are going to be brought into this world. Now whether you want to be apart of their lives that's up to you!" He could hear her crying hysterically on the phone.

"Babies? She's having twins?" Mary asked softening her voice.

"Yes… we're having a boy and girl… mom she means the world to me. We're really excited about this. Please don't ruin this for us."

"But you're both just babies," she whispered, "I'm trying to be as positive as I can be but what do you expect? I had to find out I'm a grandmother over the internet because my inconsiderate blonde of a son was keeping me in the dark."

"I'm sorry mom," he said holding back his tears, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was wanted to do right by her and them. I wanted to make sure my family was taken care of first."

Mary sighed, "But we're your family too Samuel. You can't hide from us. "

"I know that but they are my new family and I have to be a man about this."

"Do her parents know?"

Sam hesitated, "…No…"

"SAMUEL! You call them right this instant and tell them! Don't wait any longer."

"Mom I can't do that. Look when Mercedes is ready to face them we will face them together. You can't force us too."

"Oh yes I can! I'm going to call them"

"MOM PLEASE! Please don't interfere. I promise we will tell them before they're born."

"Sam?" he heard Mercedes voice behind him.

He turned around to see her standing there with bright eyes. His face paled realizing that she probably had been listening on their conversation. She placed her hand on her belly and rubbed it as she started to cry.

"What's going on?" she cried

"Mercedes? Is that Mercedes? Put her on the phone Sam!" his mother screamed through the phone.

Ignoring her request he walked over to Mercedes, "Shh… baby it's ok. Please don't cry you're going to wear yourself out."

"What's going on?" she repeated

"SAM! LET ME TALK TO HER," Mary screamed.

Mercedes held her hand out for the phone. Reluctantly he handed it to her, "Hello?"

"Mercedes what is going on? Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?" she asked

"I…I…" she stuttered as Sam took the phone from her.

"Look if you're going to upset her then you're not talking to her. She's in a fragile state right now and I can't have you upsetting her."

"I'm sorry," his mother replied, "Look… um… I'll give you a call later after I've processed everything and talked to your father. Have a good night Sam," with that he heard a click.

Sam tossed the phone on the table and feverishly ran his fingers through his blonde locks. He felt like a nervous breakdown was soon to happen but seeing Mercedes looking defeated kept him together. He enveloped her into a hug as she cried into his chest. Her emotions were all over the place and having just heard Sam get yelled at by his mother had evoked them. Mercedes was silently praying that this news to the Evans's family wouldn't make them turn on Sam. She knew how much Sam loved his family and it broke her heart at the thought of them disowning him over her pregnancy.

"Baby it's not your fault," he said trying to cheer her up, "I was careless and posted a picture of us on my profile. It's my fault not yours."

"But this wouldn't have happened had I told you from the beginning and then we could have told them."

"What happened in the past already happened. We can't change time so all we can do is move forward. I know my mother, she's going to be pissed as hell with me but she won't turn her back on us. I promise, this is just a reaction that's going to fade. She's going to love our babies as much as we love them, ok?"

Mercedes looked up at him, "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," he kissed her, "Besides who would want to reject our beautiful babies? They'll put all the newborns to shame with my devilish looks and your striking beauty. Nurses will go blind from just a glimpse."

She had stated to laugh, "Sam you're so crazy."

"Crazy about you-" his phone started to ring again, "I thought you were going to call….Puck?"

"Hey man…" Puck said in a wearily voice.

"You ok dude? Have you been drinking?"

There was a pause, "Nah man…ok maybe a little… I just got the worse news."

"What kind of news?"

"Is Mercedes there?"

"Yeah, why? You're starting to worry me Puck, what's going on."

"Could you put the phone on speaker?"

Sam did as he was told, "It's on"

"Mercedes?"

"Yeah Noah I'm here. Are you ok?"

"If you're standing up mama I think you need to sit down…"

Sam wrapped his arms around her as she joined him on the sofa, "Spill Puck, you're dragging this shit out man."

"I don't know how to say this… I got a call earlier from Rachel-"

"Is it Finn? Is he ok?" Mercedes asked nervously

"It's not Finn sweetie… it's Kurt."

Mercedes felt like her heart stopped, "Kurt? What happened to Kurt?"

"She said they were walking back late the other night from a show and someone tried to mug them. He protected her and got shot in the process-"

She was now standing up pacing, "He's ok right? I mean that's so bold of Kurt to do that for Rachel-"

"He's dead Mama, Kurt's dead."

"What!" Sam shouted.

It didn't take long for Mercedes' legs to give out on her. Sam was quick to react and collected her in his arms as she started to scream and cry loudly. He bit back his own tears as her rocked he back and forth. He didn't like seeing her in pain and right now the sight before him was too much to bear.

"Please stop crying love, it's not good for the babies," he whispered.

She shook her head, "Kurt's dead! Oh my god Blaine… did someone tell Blaine!" she screamed.

"Guy's I don't know what the funeral plans are," Puck said breaking up their moment, "I'm heading back to Lima tonight if you guys want to come."

"YES!" she shouted

"Mercedes…" Sam warned

"No, he was my best friend Sam. I have to be there for him and Blaine."

"I understand that sweetheart but your condition is very fragile and I'm worried that this will have a negative impact on the babies."

"SAM! How could you? Kurt helped you when your family was down on their luck, took you into his home and the Hummel's let you stay with them. Isn't Kurt like a brother to you? This shouldn't even be up for debate!"

Sam sniffed, "I know this but I'm just worried about you."

"I'll be fine"

"How soon can you guys be ready?" Puck interjected

"Give us an hour to get things packed and to call her doctor," Sam said.

Mercedes felt numb on the inside. The only thing running through her mind was to pack and get back to Lima as fast she could. She figured if she kept herself busy long enough that she wouldn't have to think about Kurt. In her head she had just been punk'd and that he was fine, living it up with Rachel in New York.

He watched her move about the apartment, fixing and tidying up things. Sam had started to grow concern when she kept moving instead of sitting down relaxing. While she moved about he had called Dr. Warren to explain what was going on. She had instructed him monitor her careful so that she didn't overwork herself. He went over to help her pack but she refused to let him. Not wanting to upset her further he let her finish with her routine until Puck had showed up.

"Hey man… how's she doing?" Puck asked looking over Sam's shoulder, "Whoa… Mama is looking a house."

Sam hissed at him, "She's not good obviously… and she's pregnant you idiot, don't look at her that way it'll make her cry."

Puck brushed past him, "Hey Mama… ready to go on our road trip?" he asked

She smiled at him, "Of course I'm ready! I can't wait to see everyone from school."

Her cheerful tone caused Puck to glance worried at Sam, "Um… how are you holding up?"

"Fine, why do you ask?" she questioned stuffing something in her purse.

"Well I did just call-" Sam cut him off.

"Ready love? You got everything?"

"Yep, I just hope we're not there for long. Have to get back for my classes."

"Is she ok?" Puck whispered, "She sounds not all there"

"Leave it alone, she's in shock," Sam groaned, "This is going to be one hell of a trip…"

**3 Days Later**

The entire road trip had been eerie for the most part. Sam and Puck did some bonding while Mercedes occasionally participated in conversations. When they finally had reached Lima, Sam had instructed Puck to drop him and Mercedes off at the Hudson-Hummel residence. At first Sam thought to use his key but given the situation he felt it was better to knock first. He waited patiently with Mercedes by his side as the door swung open. Burt stood there looking slightly disheveled. He had bags under his bloodshot eyes and was sporting a five o'clock shadow. Without saying a word Burt enveloped Sam into a tight hug. Mercedes stood there silently watching the interaction before her.

She felt out of place.

When Burt had let go of Sam he immediately gathered Mercedes in his arms. The tears had started to build up inside of her as she silently started to cry. Burt soothed her back before pulling a way to look at her.

"Please don't cry, Kurt wouldn't have wanted you to," he said

"Burt… we're so sorry," Mercedes whispered

He smiled, "I'm glad you came home Sam. You've been missed. Please come inside."

They followed Burt inside of the house. Carole had been on the phone, her eyes focused on Mercedes. She quickly hung up her call and strolled towards them.

"You look good dear," Carole said

"Thank you," Mercedes responded.

"Sweetie, I'm going to talk to Burt for a minute ok?" Sam asked

"Yeah sure"

Sam had walked off into the kitchen where he found Burt nursing a beer. He pulled up a seat at the counter and reached his hand out placing it on top of Burt's. Burt smiled at the boys' gesture and ruffled Sam's hair.

"You know Sam, before Kurt came out to me he tried to be a son he thought I would love. Problem was he didn't know that I already loved him for who he was. He had such a hard time gaining acceptance in school… in a way I feel like he's at peace with his life right now."

"It's going to take time Burt," Sam offered

"I know… but right time means nothing. I know I can get through this eventually. It's just that a parent shouldn't have to bury their child before them you know?"

Burt's words hit Sam's heart hard. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he was in Burt's shoes right now. The thought alone of something happening to his baby boy sickened him. For once he could understand someone else's pain, but now was not the time or place to dwell on his own fears.

"How is she?" Burt asked

"Who?"

"Mercedes… I didn't want to ask in front of her."

"She's as ok as she can be right now. I'm really worried about her stressing herself out."

"Stick by her side Sam… in the meantime the two of you are free to stay here. I'm assuming you both haven't spoken to your parents yet?"

"I talked to mine tonight; ironically… she hasn't spoken to hers."

"Hmm… well I'm going to go make some phone calls. You kids enjoy yourselves and try to stay positive during this ok?" Burt said walking away from the counter

"Yes sir"

"Sam?" he said turning around.

"Yeah"

"You're going to make a great dad. I know it."

"Thank you…"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Mercedes had barely slept the other night. She would wake up out of her sleep crying, scarring Sam. He had ended up staying up all night watching her to make sure she'd slept through. The next day felt like she had been suffering from a hangover. Since Sam barely got any sleep she decided to let him sleep in. Today was the day that she would have to face Kurt. It was about 8am when she found Burt wide awake in the kitchen. He had offered to take her with him to see Kurt so she didn't have to go alone. When they finally arrived to the room they had placed Kurt in Mercedes guilt had started to eat at her. She half hearty wanted to go in to see her best friend while the other half wanted to runaway. Burt had left her alone to her privacy and own thoughts.

"So tell me what happened," he said placing a hand over hers.

Mercedes refused to look him in the eye, "It's just too much… It was so unexpected…"

"I know, but you gotta talk about it. You can't hold it in."

"But Kurt I thought you were dead!" she cried

He gave her a slight smile, "It's not a crime Mercedes"

"It should be! Of all the worse things in the world I could do, wishing you had been killed is a big one."

"You're just trying to cope, I get that. Besides we both know I'm alive and well as well as fabulous. Don't dwell on it to avoid the real subject!"

At some point Mercedes felt like she should change her middle name to Guilty. These past few days hadn't been easy on her or Sam. She was glad to know that her best friend was ok but at the same time she wished things didn't have to go down the way they did. Everything seemed like a bad dream to her.

**_Flashback: 2 Days Ago_**

_ After Puck had gotten off the phone with Sam, Mercedes was like a tornado moving around the apartment. She was in panic mode and the longer she had stayed in the place the worse it got. Sam watched her frantic state from the kitchen table trying to figure out how to calm her down._

_"Cedes…please calm down it's not good for the babies,"_

_She shook her head, "Kurt's hurt! Oh my god Blaine… did someone tell Blaine?" she screamed._

_"It's just an accident guys… no need to act like there are funeral plans being made," Puck said breaking up their moment._

_"We need to go to him Sam, he needs me!"_

_"Mercedes…" he warned_

_"No, he's my best friend Sam. I have to be there for him."_

_"I understand that sweetheart but your condition is very fragile and I'm worried this will have a negative impact on the babies."_

_"SAM! How could you? Kurt helped you when your family was down on their luck took you into his home and the Hummel's let you stay with them. Isn't Kurt like a brother to you? This shouldn't even be up for debate!"_

_"I know this, but I'm worried about you."_

_"I'm fine," she said taking a breath, "How soon can we leave?"_

_Sam sighed, "Give me a moment to find out flight schedules and call Dr. Warren ok?"_

_ Mercedes felt numb on the inside. The only thing running through her mind was to pack and get back to Lima as fast she could. She figured if she kept herself busy long enough that she wouldn't have to think about Kurt. In her head she had just been punk'd and that he was fine, living it up with Rachel in New York, 'Damn these pregnancy hormones,' she cursed._

_He watched her move about the apartment, fixing and tidying up things. Sam had started to grow concerned when she kept moving instead of sitting down relaxing. While she moved about he had called Dr. Warren to explain what was going on. She had instructed him monitor her careful so that she didn't overwork herself. He went over to help her pack but she refused to let him. Not wanting to upset her further he let her finish with her routine while he made his calls. Puck had offered to take them to the airport._

_"Hey man… how's she doing?" Puck asked looking over Sam's shoulder, "Whoa… Mama is looking like a house."_  
_Sam hissed at him, "She's not good obviously… and she's pregnant you idiot, don't look at her that way it'll make her cry."_  
_Puck brushed past him, "Hey Mama… ready to go?" he asked_  
_She smiled at him, "Of course I'm ready! I can't wait to see everyone."_  
_Her cheerful tone caused Puck to glance worried at Sam, "Um… how are you holding up?"_  
_"Fine, why do you ask?" she questioned stuffing something in her purse._  
_"Well I did just call-" Sam cut him off._  
_"Ready love? You got everything?"_  
_"Is she ok?" Puck whispered, "She sounds not all there"_  
_"Leave it alone, she's in shock," Sam groaned, "This is going to be one hell of a trip…"_

_Puck had dropped them off at the LAX airport. Sam promised he'd call him later and fill him in on their visit. Mercedes had taken this opportunity to phone her parents to ask them to pick her up from the airport. At first they thought something had happened to her until she explained why she was coming home. Their flight was long and thankfully for Sam there was no layover's. He hated flying! It was one of his biggest fears but he still got on the plane just to keep her safe. He was also thankful that her parents were willing to pick them up because having to take a taxi from Detroit to Lima was going to be murderous on his wallet. _

_They both had been sitting in the terminal waiting for the Jones'. Mercedes was up and alert since she slept most of the plane ride. Sam on the other hand was exhausted. Between the turbulence and his over active imagination replaying the gremlin on the wing scene from The Twilight Zone Movie, his chances of getting a decent sleep was non existent._

_"Mom! Daddy!" Mercedes shouted towards her parents._

_ Alisha and Gary Jones had stopped in their tracks at the sight of Mercedes with Sam. They shot each other questionable glances as Mr. Jones stepped forward. He eyed Sam briefly before turning his attention to his daughter._

_"I thought you were coming alone? What is he doing here?" her father asked_  
_"Sam… aren't you supposed to be in Lima?" Mrs. Jones asked_  
_"It's a really long story…" Sam responded_  
_"Daddy can we please not do this now? I have to get to Kurt to make sure he's ok," she said with panic._  
_"We'll talk," Mr. Jones said sternly towards Sam, "Alright baby girl lets get you back home so you can see Kurt."_

_Alisha had eyed her daughter suspiciously as she watched her slightly waddle away. Trying to shake off this feeling that was stirring inside of her she followed her family out of the airport. Through the entire car ride no one said that anything to each other for two hours. The silence was making Sam uneasy as he kept avoiding her parents' questionable glances. Finally her father spoke._

_"Sam, do you want me to drop you off at your house?" he asked_  
_"No daddy, I need Sam with me!" Mercedes had answered for him._

_Not wanting to start a fight with his daughter he agreed. They had finally pulled up to the Jones residence. Sam carried in his and Mercedes bags while her parents went off to talk amongst themselves. When he reached her room he found her brushing her hair and putting on some makeup._

_"I think they know," Sam said_  
_"They don't know anything…" she replied freely._  
_"Mercedes I'm serious! We need to tell them, like today."_  
_"MERCEDES! SAM!" they heard her mother call._

_ Sam winced at the sound of his name being called. He knew none of this was going to be good at all. He walked ahead of her first and stood in front of her family, slightly covering Mercedes with his body._

_"Sit down…" her father said deeply._

_ They both sat down as her parents took a seat across from them. Mercedes glanced around the room while Sam had stared straight ahead at them. Her mother kept eyeing her until tears started to well in her eyes. Finally the sound of sobs broke the silence between them._

_"MOM!" Mercedes shouted, "Are you ok? What's wrong?" she was now standing up, her swollen stomach more visible, causing her mother to cry harder._  
_"Is there something you want to tell us?" her father directed towards Sam._  
_Sam sucked in his breath looking at Mercedes, "I…um…"_  
_"Answer me boy!"_  
_"Gary…" Mrs. Jones whispered, "Mercedes… are you pregnant?"_  
_Mercedes was taken back by her mothers question, "…yes…"_  
_"Oh my god!" her mother screamed, "How long?"_  
_"…I'm in my second trimester right now…"_  
_"Well it's too late to get-" she was cut off by Mr. Jones_  
_"Sam! How could you? I thought you were a respectable young man!"_  
_"I am," Sam finally spoke, "I am respectable sir."_  
_"Daddy please don't be mad at him. It's my fault not his."_  
_"How is it not his fault? You didn't fall pregnant on your own!" he snapped, "Was it consensual? Did you take advantage of my daughter?"_  
_"Daddy!"_  
_"Don't Daddy me! Where is your head Mercedes? How did you get into this?"_  
_Mercedes hung her head, "It's not Sam's fault ok. He didn't even know I was pregnant until recently. I lied to him. He came looking for me and wanted to make things right between us…" she cried_  
_Mrs. Jones felt sympathy towards Sam, "Still! Why are you keeping it? You're way too young."_  
_"Mom aren't you the one who taught me that every child is a gift from god?"_  
_"So if someone gave you drugs you'd willingly become an addict?" her father interjected._  
_"Gary! That's not what we're saying. Yes every child is but you're just a child yourself. Sam aren't you still in school? Mercedes you just started college! Why are you willingly setting yourselves up for a life of hardship?"_

_Sam stood up abruptly and placed his hands on Mercedes shoulders massaging them. She had already been upset once today and now she was in a worse state. Mercedes turned around and buried her head into Sam's chest. Her parents had been watching the exchange between them._

_"There's still adoption," her mother offered._  
_"No!" Sam had had enough, "We are not putting them up for adoption. We're keeping both of our babies. This isn't up for discussion!" he spat_  
_"Excuse me young man!" Gary yelled standing up, "I don't know who the hell you think you are but what goes on with my daughter stays between this family! This doesn't concern you!"_  
_"It concerns me just fine! With all due respect sir they are my family. That's my child in there. I'm going to take care of them just like my father took care of me and my siblings."_  
_Gary was fuming, "But what can you offer her? You're white trash! How do you expect to provide for her and your child?_

_ Both Mercedes and her mother looked shocked at Mr. Jones. Neither one of them had expected him to refer to Sam as 'White Trash'. Sam had seemed unaffected by the older man's remarks._

_"If that's how you see me then that's on you, but she knows I'm better than that. My kids will know I am better than that. I don't care what you say I am a good man and I will do right by Mercedes for the rest of our lives."_  
_Mr. Jones was now laughing, "Are you serious right now young man?"_  
_"I'm very serious sir," he said sternly_  
_"Mercedes," her mother spoke, "Maybe you should think about this some more."_  
_"What is there to think about? I think Sam and I made it very clear what our intentions are."_  
_"You don't know what you're getting yourselves into. A baby is more than money; it's a lifetime of energy and commitment. If you're doing this because you don't feel loved enough, don't expect this baby to love you more."_  
_"What?" Mercedes snapped, "What are you talking about? Mom I'm an adult!"_  
_"You're 18!"_  
_"I'm still a legal adult and I can make my own choices!"_  
_"How are you even going to raise it? They're going to be so confused…"_  
_"What?" now it was Sam's turn to be angry with her, "What do you mean by confused?"_  
_"You know what I mean Sam," she said sternly_  
_"You're serious? It's 2012, not 1960. The very idea that you think our babies would be confused is comical," he said dryly, "You know I would have never pegged you as a racist Mrs. Jones-"_  
_"Get out!" Mr. Jones yelled_  
_"Daddy!" Mercedes screamed_  
_"The both of you get out! Mercedes go get your things and leave! I don't want to see you right now and I definitely don't want to see him!"_

_ Without anymore exchange of words Sam marched upstairs and repacked Mercedes things. When he came back downstairs she was still standing in the middle of the room crying while her father had consoled her mother. He embraced her and kissed her face._

_"Come on baby, we don't have to stay where we're not wanted," he said softly_  
_She sniffed, "But…my parents hate me. They hate me Sam…"_  
_He closed his eyes, "They don't hate you baby, they're just hate themselves."_

_He ushered her towards the door, quickly closing it behind him. As soon as they were outside she quickly sank down on the steps. Sam quickly dropped their bags and immediately wrapped his arms around her._

_"I can't believe this…I didn't expect them to react like this!" she cried_  
_"I know baby I know… look my mom didn't react any better."_  
_"Yes she did! Unlike Mary I know my father meant every word his said. He's not the type of man to say things loosely and not mean it."_  
_"Just give them some time, they'll come around."_  
_"No they won't Sam! Stop it! They're not going too!"_  
_"Cedes…"_  
_"NO!" she said turning away from him, "I just want to pretend like this didn't even happen. I just want to go see Kurt right now."_  
_"Ok… we'll go see him. First let me drop our things off at the Hummel's."_  
_"Are you sure it's ok?"_  
_"It's fine trust me. Now I don't know if you're up to walking…"_  
_"We'll take my car."_  
_Sam's eyes glanced to the street, "Are you sure? I don't want your parents reporting to stolen or something…"_  
_"It's my car! They can kick me out but they can't take away my car."_

_ Sam didn't press the issue any further. He watched Mercedes get up to start the engine. She looked like she was having a tough time adjusting herself behind the wheel of the car. He chuckled to himself realizing that her belly was in the way._

_"Want me to dry?" he asked with a smile_  
_She looked at him sheepishly, "Please?"_

_ Sam had driven him and Mercedes to the Hudson-Hummel residence. At first Sam thought to use his key but given the situation he felt it was better to knock first. He waited patiently with Mercedes by his side as the door swung open. Burt stood there looking slightly disheveled. He had bags under his bloodshot eyes and was sporting a five o'clock shadow. Without saying a word Burt enveloped Sam into a tight hug. Mercedes stood there silently watching the interaction before her._

_She felt out of place._

_When Burt had let go of Sam he immediately gathered Mercedes in his arms. The tears had started to build up inside of her as she silently started to cry. Burt soothed her back before pulling a way to look at her._

_"Please don't cry, Kurt's going to be fine." he said_

_"Burt…" Mercedes whispered_

_He smiled, "I'm glad you came home Sam. You've been missed. Please come inside."_

_They followed Burt inside of the house. Carole had been on the phone, her eyes focused on Mercedes. She quickly hung up her call and strolled towards them._

_"You look good dear," Carole said_

_"Thank you," Mercedes responded._

_"Sweetie, I'm going to talk to Burt for a minute ok?" Sam asked_

_"Yeah sure"_

_Sam had walked off into the kitchen where he found Burt nursing a beer. He pulled up a seat at the counter and reached his hand out placing it on top of Burt's. Burt smiled at the boys' gesture and ruffled Sam's hair._

_"You know Sam, before Kurt came out to me he tried to be a son he thought I would love. Problem was he didn't know that I already loved him for who he was. He had such a hard time gaining acceptance in school. I used to give him hell about it but that's a little insignificant. My boy's a fighter and now he's got a battle scar to show for it."_

_"Kurt's pretty fierce," Sam chuckled_

_"I know… but I couldn't stop thinking what if. What if the bullet hadn't missed any major organs you know? My son could have almost died… It's just that a parent shouldn't have to bury their child before them you know?"_

_Burt's words hit Sam's heart hard. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he was in Burt's shoes right now. The thought alone of something happening to his baby boy sickened him. For once he could understand someone else's pain, but now was not the time or place to dwell on his own fears._

_"How is she?" Burt asked_

_"Who?"_

_"Mercedes… I didn't want to ask in front of her."_

_"She's as ok as she can be right now. I'm really worried about her stressing herself out."_

_"Stick by her side Sam… in the meantime the two of you are free to stay here. I'm assuming you both haven't spoken to your parents yet?"_

_"I talked to mine tonight; ironically we just got done talking to her's."_

_ Sam had started to fill Burt in on what had just gone down between her and her parents. Throughout the story Burt's facial expressions had changed from sad to angry numerous times. When Sam was finished Burt had given him a deep hug._

_"Hmm… well I'm going to go make some phone calls. You kids enjoy yourselves and try to stay positive during this ok?" Burt said walking away from the counter_

_"Yes sir"_

_"Sam?" he said turning around._

_"Yeah"_

_"You're going to make a great dad. I know it."_

_"Thank you…"_

Kurt had tears in his eyes as she had slightly shifted himself in his hospital bed to hug his friend. He couldn't believe the way her parents had reacted to her situation. All Mercedes could do was let Kurt comfort for. Even though Kurt had said otherwise she still felt bad for fantasying his demise to compensate for her awful encounter with her parents.

"See! This is why I'm a bad person…" she sobbed.

Kurt shook his head, "With what you just told me I'd rather thing I was dead and that we had amazing celebration afterwards."

"I just don't know what to do. I mean I knew they'd be angry but I didn't think they'd be that angry."  
"It's whatever, because Uncle Kurt here is going to make up for your parents lack of interaction," he scoffed, "Besides, you and Sam are having a baby! Now I know I wasn't too thrilled about Rachel marrying my brother but that's because they're both idiots."  
Mercedes laughed, "Yeah but Finn and Rachel love each other."  
"They do… but Finn needs to do him and get his life together without trying to ride Rachel's coat tails. Rachel needs to learn how to be independent without him and do her without dragging him with her. They're both a hot mess."

"A hot mess in deed"

Kurt's face lit up, "SO! What are color schemes? Do you guys have names yet? Please let me review any decisions you make with their wardrobes because I cannot have my niece and nephew looking like Tragic Sam 2.0"

"Aw… Sam has his own style."  
"It's very plain and very country," he said dryly

"Well he is from Tennessee"

"It doesn't mean he can't throw together a nice coordination every once in awhile. But, we'll work on him later. He has had time to expose the world's eyes to his horrendous flannel collection. These babies have not therefore they have to enter the world with a statement," he said flicking his wrist, "One that says my dear Uncle Kurt loves me so much! Besides if I don't do it Blaine certainly wouldn't allow them to leave the womb in nothing but exceptional style."

She couldn't contain her laughter, "You're too much! I needed this… really did."  
"I'm glad to be there. Now since I'm going to sporting a gaudy bandage for the time being I won't be able to head back to FIT so quickly," he stated rolling his eyes, "But FIT will survive and Rachel will too."

"I'll stay in Lima for a bit until you get better, ok?"  
"That's fabulous Mercedes! It'll be like our old sleepovers except you'll be in the house with me everyday and Sam will be in on it. He does wear pajamas now, right?"  
"Nope"  
"Oh god…ok maybe we can find him something else to do because I can't be around that boy naked, he's too much."

"There are no complaints"

Suddenly a knock came to Kurt's hospital door. They turned their attention towards the doorway to see Blaine standing there with flowers and balloons in his hands looking distraught. Kurt smiled at him as he propelled himself towards Kurt's bedside, hugging his boyfriend.

"Oh Kurt… you're ok. I'm so glad you're ok," he cried

Kurt rolled his eyes, "It's ok Blaine, it's not like I died or anything," he said winking at Mercedes.

"I know but my heart almost fell out of my chest when they told me you'd been shot! How are you even here?"  
"Once they stabilized me they had me transferred to Lima General. But I'm fine Blaine! The less you are python squeezing me to death, the sooner I can heal."

Mercedes at smiled at their lover's quarrel, "I think I'll leave you too alone…"

She got up and left them to themselves as she exited out of the doorway. Briefly glancing back she smiled at her two friends as Blaine continued to be dramatic. She was glad that she had great friends; it made her feel better about her parent's lack of support. Even though it was eating at her on the inside she was trying to make a conscious effort to not dwell on the situation any further. "It'll work itself out," she said to herself.

They say time heals all wounds.

* * *

**Sorry for the terrible scare everyone lol. Pretty interesting what the mind can do in a terrible situation? Review away!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

They had only been back in Lima for a few days and already the Hudson-Hummel home was being overrun by people. Half kept coming over to see Kurt while the other half was excited about Mercedes and Sam's babies. She had to admit she loved the attention, even if it meant having people constantly rub her stomach. Tina and Brittany had decided to make it a girl's day by bringing over movies and snacks for her and Kurt. Rachel had yet to surface since the night Kurt was shot. Finn had phoned home on her behalf to say she was too distraught to face him and would see him when he was back in New York. Sam not wanting to rain in on the girl's day parade decided to head over to McKinley High to catch up on school. Mr. Figgins was not amused when Sam strolled through his door with a smile plastered on his face.

"Sit down Mr. Evans," he said

"How are you Mr. Figgins?" he asked playfully.

Mr. Figgins furrowed his brow at him, "Sam are you aware that you've missed almost an entire month of school?"

"Yes sir, I am. It's why I'm here."  
"This is serious Mr. Evans! You could have to go to summer school or worse be held back."

"I want to take the GED exam," he said flatly.

This caused Figgins to sit up in his chair, "Why Mr. Evans? Why do you suddenly want to drop out?"

"I'm not dropping out persay, I just want my GED so I can be done with school. A lot of things have come up since I left and I have family obligations that unfortunately will not let me commit to school whole heartily."

"But you won't get to graduate with your friends. Doesn't your family want to see you walk across the stage?"

"With all do respect sir walking across the stage is the least of my problems. I'd rather just fulfill my education duties and go on with my life."

Figgins sighed opening his filing cabinet and handing Sam a stack of papers, "Fill this out and bring it back. There are study materials as well as a practice test. Once you've felt you've studied enough then we can schedule you GED exam."

"Thank you sir"  
"I hope you know what you're doing Mr. Evans"

"I do, I'll be seeing you…"

Sam took his papers and left the office. He figured now was a better time than ever to empty out his locker. He stood there for a moment trying to remember his combination until he had heard the sound of running. Slowly turning around but he was caught off guard by being tackled into a hug against his locker.

"Sammykins! Oh Sammy, I've missed you. Where have you been? Daddy's been asking about you," Sugar said in one breath

He looked at her horrified. How could he forget about Sugar? _'Fuck…'_ he thought to himself realizing that when he took off she didn't even bother to end things with her. Now here she was staring at him as if nothing had happened between them. He gently pushed her away from him as she frowned at his rejection.

"Listen Sugar…"

"I'm so glad you're back! Did you enjoy your trip?" she asked excitedly.

He rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah… but it was more than just a trip Sugar."

"Oh?" she said tilting her head, "Well you can tell me all about it tonight over dinner!"

He sighed, "No Sugar, no dinner. Look, something's happened and I'm no longer going to be staying in Lima."

"Why not? Where are you going?"

He knew he couldn't lie to her, "Sugar…I'm back with Mercedes-"

"WHAT! That bitch! How could you take her back after all she's done to you," she cried.

Sam's face hardened, "She's not a bitch…"

"How can you be with her anyways, she got knocked up by some movie star! That's just gross and so slutty. Why are you going back to that slut Sam? Am I not good enough for you? I'm still a virgin so I'm pure as hell too!"

"Stop it Sugar! Stop slut shaming her, you don't even know the whole situation."

"What's there to know? She cheated on you Sammy, a girl like that doesn't love you. She doesn't love you like I love you."

He was taken back by her confession, "Mercedes never cheated, she didn't get knocked up by a movie star… I did it, ok? I'm her babies' daddy."

Sugar pretended to be shocked, "Sam! How could you! How could you do this to me? To us?"

"There is no US Sugar! We barely had a relationship outside of you wanting to flaunt me to everyone we came in contact with. I love Mercedes, I always loved her and now I'm getting my life on track and going back to LA with my family."

"What family Sam? You sound like so crazy right now. How do you even know the kids yours? She just told you and you believed her?"

"I know Sugar! I don't have to justify my situation to you or expect you to understand. What I need for you to do is to leave me the hell alone and get over it."

Sam slammed his locker and stormed off away from her. She stood there in the hallway watching him disappear down the hall as the tears sprang to her eyes. She knew that he was Mercedes baby daddy. When he didn't show up from school and word got around that he had run away from home, she figured he was probably with her. Not wanting to give into her gut feeling she brushed it off and chalked it up to chance. How could he just get back together with her though? After all she did to get away from him he still loved her? Sugar was furious and she needed to get to the bottom of this situation. Sam was hers now regardless of his little 'baggage' that he was now carting around.

Mercedes had been propped up next to Kurt on his bed while Tina painted her toe nails. Kurt had been enjoying all their girls day even if he excluded himself from some activities. Brittany was busy keeping herself occupied by designing Lord Tumbington a new bedroom layout.

"Guys this is a good day," Kurt said

"I know! It's like you guys never left. Well I mean aside from you being shot and all." Tina said

"Has Rachel made any attempt to call you?" Mercedes asked

Kurt rolled his eyes, "She's being dramatic as always. Finn had to be her sponsor and call on her behalf. She's too chicken shit to call me herself."

"Why? It's not like she shot you…"  
"Rachel shot you? It's almost like that one time these outdoor cats snuck into or house and got into a fit with Lord Tumbington… there was a lot of blood and I had to help him hide the gun," Brittany said wandering off.

Kurt side eyed her, "Anyways she just feels guilty that I got shot instead of her. Plus it was her fault anyways! The guy wanted her bag she wouldn't hand it over so I tried to give it to him to get him to leave and he just pulled the trigger."

"That's what happened?" Tina asked

"Yeah… Rachel's my friend and all but she's not someone I would take a bullet for."

"Lord Tumbington accidentally shot me once…"

No one spoke after Brittany's last statement. Instead they had resumed watching 'Moulin Rouge'. Mercedes was glad to be enjoying her time with her friends. They had almost made her forget about her parents. She had decided after a few days that she wasn't going to dwell on their rejection any further and enjoy her life with the people she knew who loved her, Sam and their babies.

Sam enjoyed the walk home from McKinley. It was a way for him to clear his head as well as let his anger subside from his Sugar situation. He was glad that the whole GED thing had gone over smoothly. Now the hard part was studying for the test and actually passing it. He was confident that if he focused hard enough he could pass. Sam's thoughts were cut off when he stepped into the Hudson-Hummel home to find his family sitting on the couch talking to Burt. He froze at the doorway, contemplating if he should go in or remain at the door. His mother looked over to with wide eyes while his father looked at him sternly. Stevie and Stacy had abandoned their parents in order to rush to Sam. He hugged them and told instructed them to go upstairs and surprise Mercedes.

"Samuel…" his father said

"Hi dad," was all Sam could say.

"I think I'll leave you guys alone. If you need me I'll be in my office. Nice seeing you again Dwight, Mary," Burt said getting up. Before he left he patted Sam on the shoulder.

Sam slowly walked into the room, "So… come down for a visit huh?"

"Sammy… don't be afraid to talk to us," his mother said softly.

"Your mother had informed me of your situation a week ago. Son, what do you have to say?"

Sam felt a lump in his throat, "I'm sorry I disappointed you dad, I really am…"

Mary left her husband to sit near him, "Sam… we're not disappointed in you. We're angry, yes but we could never be disappointed in you."

"Your mother has told me that you and Mercedes are expecting twins, correct?" Dwight said

"Yes Pa"

"And you guys are planning on raising them?"

"Yes"

Dwight had thought for a moment, "Son, do you know how hard it is to raise a family? You saw what your mother and I have gone through. Are you prepared to handle that?"

Sam glanced between his parents, "Yes Pa, I'm prepared to handle all my responsibilities and any downfalls that may come our way."

"Sam… when the last time we spoke in person you said you wanted to go back to being a kid…"

"I know Pa, but it's not like I can away from this. You taught me better than that. Besides I love her and I'm going to stand by her."

"We raised you well," his mother said kissing his face.

"Well son… I guess the only thing left to say is congratulations," Dwight said standing up to hug Sam.

"Have you told her parents yet?" his mother asked.

Sam had stiffened for a moment. It was his turn now to feel guilty about their situation. While his parents had time to sort things out and accept their situation, her parents had not. He immediately felt sadness for Mercedes that her own parents hadn't took their news well.

"They um… we told him," he said avoiding his mother's eyes.

She grabbed his head, "What happened Sammy?"

He shook his head, "I really don't want to get into but the short version is they disowned Mercedes," he breathed.

"WHAT!" she screamed

"Shh… Mary! What do you mean they disowned her?" Dwight asked.

"We told them, they said some not nice things, we stood our ground, they kicked us out and now we're here."

"That's awful… poor Mercedes," his mother cried, "Where is she? She need a hug for support."

"She's upstairs… I'll go get her."

Before Sam could move his siblings had already beat him too it. Stacy was dragging Mercedes down the stairs with her while Stevie was busy chatting her head off about his toys he wanted to share with the babies. Mercedes froze at the bottom of the steps at the sight of his parents.

"Don't be scared dear, come over and give me a hug!" Mary said softly. Mercedes walked over to them as Mary grabbed her, "Oh my god you're so big! Sam you didn't tell me she was THIS pregnant."

"Well pregnant is pregnant so…" he replied

"She's definitely carrying a Evans's twins," Dwight said hugging her.

"I'm 24 weeks," Mercedes replied.

"24! Oh my you don't have that much further to go! We need to start planning a baby shower. Do you have names picked out?"

"We're working on it Ma," Sam said

"Oh my! I'm getting so excited. The glow on your face Mercedes, you look so beautiful!" Mary beamed.

"Yeah… when Mary here was pregnant with Stevie and Stacy she looked and felt a mess. I was always in hot water with her…"

"Like right now if you continue that story?" Mary threatened her husband.

"Thank you Mrs. Evans"

"Please Mercedes call me Mom or Ma. Don't be so formal about it, you're family after all!"

Sam had smiled at the interaction between his family and Mercedes. Without saying anything he knew she was happy about their acceptance towards her and the babies. Sure it wasn't enough to replace her own parents but they were doing a good job at making her feel welcomed. He was glad to know that things between them were starting to move into the right direction.

"Would you mind if I take you out shopping?" Mary asked suddenly

"Shopping?"

"To get my grandbabies a little something. I can only imagine that Sam here hasn't started preparing your nest yet for when they arrive?"

Mercedes laughed, "Honestly no, we haven't even talked about if we're going to move back here or stay in LA."

"I think we should stay in LA and just get a bigger place. Our place right now is so small," Sam stated

"Oh?" his mother asked.

"It's a studio apartment. Not exactly spacious to be bringing twins home to."

"I see, well I hope you guys work on that soon. In the meantime is 2 ok with you?"

"2 sounds perfect."

"Ma, where are you guying staying?"

"Oh you know at the motel in town. We figured we'd stay for a few days to see you both."

"Well son we'll be seeing you," Dwight said hugging Sam, "Be good to her."

"I promise"

"Mercedes," Dwight turned his attention towards her, "Stay lovely and boss Sam around as much as you like. Don't let him take no for an answer," he teased

"I'll keep that in mind," she laughed

"See you tomorrow," Mary said hugging her

"Bye Mercedes! By Sammy! Bye bye little babies," Stacy beamed planting a big kiss on Mercedes stomach.

"Aw…" was all she could say at the little girl.

They waved off the Evans's before turning back to go inside. Sam took this opportunity to grab her and pin her against the door, planting kisses on her neck. She started to groan deciding to tease him by grabbing his crotch. He pushed himself against her as his lips made their way to hers.

"Hmm… Sam…stop…people in house" she breathed

He sighed, "Pity… you look really sexy right now."

She chuckled, "Thank you. But I've got company upstairs."

"Can't we send them home?" he whined, "I'm sure Kurt wouldn't mine."

"Nope girls day remember? Besides Tina gave me an awesome pedicure!" she said sticking out her foot.

Sam pouted, "I thought I was the only one allowed to do that."

"Hey I can't turn down a free pedi, I can't see my feet!" it was her turn to pout.

"Aw babe, you'll be able to see your feet soon. We've only got a few months left."

Mercedes smiled, "I know isn't it amazing? Pretty soon our babies are going to be her," she paused, "Sam we're going to parents! Oh my god… this is really happening."

"Calm down," he smiled, "Our gorgeous babies are going to be here soon. I can't wait."

"They're gorgeous huh?"

"Oh course! The Evans's genes produces nothing but the finest people to walk the earth," he scoffed running his fingers dramatically through his hair.

"You're so silly, but I love you."

"I love you more."

"HEY! Quit the cheesy shit and get back up here woman! We've had this movie on pause for over an hour," Kurt called from the top of the stairs.

She and Sam had busted out laughing at Kurt's impatient announcement. Sam kissed her once more before sending her back upstairs to join her friends. He smiled to himself as he remembered to gather his GED study material, "It's the books tonight!" he said as he walked off to his room to start studying. So far he was conquering everything on his bucket list he had set for them.

* * *

**May or may not be the last chapter for the week. We'll see how my schedule pans out in the next few days.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

When Sam sets his sights out to do something he really puts his all into. Mercedes had woken up the next day to find him hunched over his desk drooling on top of his papers. She couldn't resist snapping a picture before waking him up. At first he didn't budge until she started to kiss his ear.

Sam shot up and looked around confused, "Did I pass?" he asked

"What?"

"Did I pass the test?"

She laughed, "Sammy you didn't even take it, you were just studying."

He slumped back down, "Oh… well then just let me sleep a few more minutes and I'll be ready…" he started to doze off.

"Baby get up! It's almost noon."

"Huh? Noon? Gotta study more…" he mumbled

"Oh boy… baby you can study later. How about you get into bed and sleep in for another hour?"

He shook his head, "Can't… have to pass…make you proud," he whispered in a daze.

She smiled and kissed his face, "Come on sleepy boy!"

Mercedes gently tugged on his arm forcing him to zombie walk towards the bed and fall down. She covered him with a blanket before grabbing her purse and keys. Quietly shutting the door she turned around to find a limping Kurt standing in front of her.

"Where do you think you're sneaking off too?" he asked sternly

She looked around, "I'm going out…why you ask?"

He shook his head, "I don't think so! I know Sam's mom is taking you baby shopping and I know that you must be out of your mind to go without me."

"Kurt…"

"Zip it, I'm dressed and already two steps ahead of you. Breakfast is upstairs, so eat and we'll have a fabulous day today."

"But-" he cut her off

"This is not up for discussion Mercedes."

Kurt turned around as swiftly as he could. He winced at the pain that ran up his side. Shrugging it off he continued down the hall. She laughed to herself, _'These are the things I've missed,'_ she thought. When she got upstairs Kurt had made eggs and toast for the both of them. By the time they had finished eating Mrs. Evans's was knocking on the door. Before Mercedes could react Kurt was already up and heading for the door.

"HELLO Mrs. Evans!" he said cheerfully

She looked at the boy in front of her oddly, "Hello yourself… you must be Kurt?"

"Kurt Hummel, local fashion icon, Sam's sanctuary, Mercedes best friend and godfather to their babies," he said in one breath extending his hand.

"So many titles… it's nice to finally meet you Kurt. Dwight and I have been very appreciative of your family for letting Sam stay here."

"It's no problem! Now onto the matter at hand. Where are we going shopping?" he sung.

"We?" she asked looking over at Mercedes.

"He invited himself on our girl's only trip," Mercedes said appearing next to him.

"Hardly… when there's my new babies and fashion involved, I'm involved. I'm like a second husband to you, Blaine being the third."

"Blaine?" Mary asked

"It's his boyfriend," she laughed, "Is it ok with you that we bring this nut along?"

"It's fine by me"

"Great! Now that everyone has agreed and met we can get this show on the road!" he said grabbing his coat.

The car ride to Babies R Us had been an interesting one. Kurt had proceeded for the entire ride to chew Mary Evans's ear off about this baby shower theme he envisioned for her grand children. Mary had found Kurt extremely amusing as well endearing by his gestures. Mercedes had been in a trance in the backseat that she hadn't realized they were already at their destination. She slowly slid out of the backseat as Kurt linked his arm with hers.

"So Mercedes, I was thinking… since you and Sammy will be heading back to LA soon would it be extremely out of the ordinary to throw you a baby shower before you guys leave?"

Mercedes stopped in her tracks, "OMG GIRL! This is amazing! You know what I can do in a short amount of time!" Kurt shrieked

"That sounds fine," she said quietly

"Urgh… wait this means I have to share planning duties with Tina! She doesn't see the vision like I do. She's going to want dark colors and Tim Burton themes… this is no good," he started rambling walking off.

Mary glanced at Mercedes, "What's wrong dear?" she asked

"It's just… I always thought that when I would be going through this, much later in life…that it's something my mom would do," she said pausing, "Except my family wants nothing to do with me! It's not that I'm not appreciative of your love and support, it's just not the same."

Mary let go of the cart to hug her, "Hey, it's ok darling. My feelings aren't hurt. I'd be feeling the same way as you in your situation. Just give your parents time. They'll come around sooner or later."

"More like never… they hate us Momma E! My dad didn't say too many kind words to Sam or about our babies. In fact my dad was a little racist about it…"

"Oh honey… well I can't speak on your father's behalf but if your mother's anything like you she just needs to space. Sure it's not a good thing to do this to you but I can also understand her reasons as well."

"MERCEDES!" Kurt called, "GIRL! They have this adorable pastel sleeping lamb theme!"

They both laughed at his enthusiasm, "This is just the start of the day," Mercedes said.

The two women had joined a very excited Kurt who was giving a speech about his new theme finding. He was trying very hard to persuade Mercedes into picking this as her baby shower theme. Her eyes had caught attention to a pink and zebra collection that she started to squeal over. Kurt looked like he was going to die right on the spot at the sight of her color choice.

"No no! Mercy please…" he begged, "Do you want your daughter to hate you? Because she will! She will have to live down that she was forced to live a life of a psychedelic zoo."

"It's not that bad Kurt. Besides I think it's really cute. You can have more than one theme."

The sound of a beeping noise caught them off guard. They turned around to see Mary holding a pricing gun in her hand smiling at them. Mercedes smiled wildly at the women why Kurt continued to frown.

"Does no one think of the children!" he complained walking away from them.

"What's that?" Mercedes asked

"It's a pricing gun that's connected to your baby registry I just started," she said leaning close to her, "Besides I'm pretty sure you'll want this for whatever Kurt disapproves of."

"MERCEDES! Come here! I found these cute cowboy and superhero shit! This screams Sam all over!"

"I wish he would stop screaming in the store," she said

"Well if it makes you feel any better I am enjoying this time. I'm also looking forward to putting together this sporadic baby shower. I know it's not ideal but I don't want you and Sam going back to LA without one." Mary said

"Thank you," she smiled

_ The house was dark and empty as Sam woke up from his slumber. Rubbing his eyes he walked around looking for Mercedes. When he didn't find her he figured she was out with Tina. He walked around and saw that Kurt wasn't home either. _

_He was all alone_

_ Suddenly the house phone rang. Sam pondered if he should answer it or not. Giving into his own curiosity he answered the phone._

_"Sam?" a scared voice called_

_"Mercedes? Is that you? What's wrong?"_

_"Sam…"_

_ The phone had hung up on him and he was now in full panic mode. He grabbed his shoes and keys and rushed out the door. When he ran out of the house he was now running down a hallway, 'What the fuck…' he thought to himself. All the doors in the corridor were unmarked. He couldn't find a single person to talk too. Finally he had stopped in front of a door that was slightly cracked opened. He pushed opened the door as a bright light hit him in his face. Blinded he shielded his eyes until the lighting had returned to normal. He was now standing in a strange living room. Mercedes sat in a chair looking out the window. He rushed over to her._

_"Baby!" he shouted getting her attention, "Are you ok?"_

_"Of course I'm ok Sam. I'm just sad."_

_ He looked around at his surroundings. There were pictures of them hung up all over the place. He also took noticed that she was no longer pregnant. Sam felt himself start to panic again._

_"Mercedes, where are the babies?" he asked franticly_

_"What babies?" she sounded confused_

_"Our babies… you're not pregnant anymore. What happened?"_

_"Sammy," she laughed, "I haven't been pregnant in 18 years."_

_"What?"_

_"Honey today the kids went off to college. That's why I'm so sad. I didn't want to let my babies go."_

_"I missed it?" he asked now on the verge of crying._

_"Missed what?"_

_"Them… I don't remember them growing up. I missed everything!"_

Sam sat up in bed looking around for Mercedes. He got up and left his room ducting around doorways looking for his girlfriend. When he didn't find her he started to panic. He had to brace himself because his chest was starting to hurt.

"Have a seat Sam before you have a heart attack," he heard Burt say.

"Huh?"

Burt sat in the living room reading a paper, "Mercedes and Kurt went with your mom to do some baby stuff," he said calmly.

Sam exhaled, "Oh thank goodness… I thought something happened to her and the babies and no one had told me."

"Why wouldn't anyone tell you?"

"I don't know, I was just having a bad dream."

"So how's your GED studies going?"

"Hard," Sam sat down on the couch, "So much math and dates to remember. I feel like I'm not going to pass at all," he said sadly

"Have some confidence son. I have faith that you will be able to pass your exam."

"But what if I don't? Then what? What kind of role model am I supposed to be for my son if he finds out his old man couldn't pass his high school exam?"

"You're just exaggerating because it's new and you're worried about failing. Just stay calm, I know you got this."

"Thanks Burt"

"Don't mention it. So what do you have planned for today?"

Sam looked around, "Well I wasn't planning on sleeping in as late as I did. I think my brain needs a bit of a break. I think I may just go meet up with Mercedes. I'm kind of curious about this baby stuff."

"Your funeral son," Burt laughed, "Me personally I leave the shopping to women and Kurt."

"Yeah but I know them, they aren't going to pick out anything cool, like a baby Jedi bathrobe."

Burt continued to laugh, "Mercedes has her work cut out for her."

Glee club had slowly been returning back to normal. Mr. Shuester was starting to feel like the club might be cursed. They always had a major event happen that would somewhat derail the group. So far this year Sam had went missing and then former Glee member Kurt was shot. To top it off they had gained 3 new members but it still wasn't enough for regional.

"Ok everyone, we seriously need to focus on the matter at hand," he said turning to point to the board, "We need to encourage others to join Glee."

"Mr. Shue, as you may have noticed in the past that didn't work very well. We tried impromptu singing…" Artie spoke

"The purple piano project," Tina added

"And getting the football team involved. We basically have nothing left to give. Sam was our strongest guy, as much as I hate to say it."

Sugar rolled her eyes, "Ugh can we please not talk about Sam. You bring up Sam then people are going to bring up Mercedes and her bastard babies. Spare me."

Tina shot her a look, "You can leave Glee club," she snapped

"Tina! The last thing we want to do is to have current members leave," Mr. Shuester said

"Mr. Shue, what if everyone was to take turns dressing up as other people? Then we'd double our group. Lord Tubbington is also prepared to fill open roles. He's a great dancer," Brittany beamed

"No one is thinking about your crazy cat!" Sugar yelled, "And why should I have to leave Glee club? Why can't you gossiping jerks just shut up?"

"Why should anyone shut up? It's not our fault your boyfriend went and got another girl pregnant behind your back," Kitty said

"He didn't go behind my back!"

"Then why are you so hung up on his balls then?" Artie asked

"Because! It's the principal of the situation. Mercedes isn't shit, plain and simple. Sam is just feeling obligated."

"Please don't make me channel Santana right now!" Tina screamed getting up from her seats.

Mr. Shuester sat in silence watching his students start to verbally attack each other. He couldn't believe what he was hearing; one disaster after another. The last thing he wanted to do was run to Sue for any type of guidance. _'Could this be the end?'_ he thought to himself continuing to watch his students argue.

They had been in the store so far for 4 hours and Mercedes and Kurt still couldn't see eye to eye about anything. It was becoming extremely frustrating as they went back and forth about type of cake should be at the party. Mercedes was excited that Sam had decided to join in on their 'fun day'. She hoped that with Sam present it would mellow things out between her and Kurt. When he had finally showed up she threw her arms around him hugging him for dear life.

"Please save me!" she pleaded

He laughed, "That bad huh?"

"He won't listen to me and won't shut up about this damn cake. I'm ready to throw this imaginary cake in his face!"

"Calm down love, you know Kurt mean's well."

"But they're our babies…" she pouted

"Well unfortunately you and Kurt seem to be sharing a uterus so in his strange mind they're his too."

Sam rubbed her shoulders as he gently pushed her towards the aisle where his mother and Kurt stood chatting. His mother smiled at him sympathetically as Kurt strolled over towards them with his iPad.

"Look at what I just sketched up!" he beamed, "See if we clear out all the ugly shit my dad has in the living room we can get an a baby elephant ice sculpture right here," he said pointing on his tablet.

Mercedes looked at Sam, "Sam…" she whined

"Kurt, keep it basic dude. The kids will have plenty of years for you to build up their wardrobe and sense of style," Sam stated

"I know this but I want them to know this as soon as they're out. If my plans work out correctly they should be unaffected by you and Mercy's horrible taste. Comic books and zebra's is one hell of a hot mess to make a concept out of."

"Hey! No insulting comic books! I plan on passing my knowledge and love onto my kids so that they can grow up and watch Avatar with me every night."

Mercedes frowned, "What Sam is trying to say is that we appreciate everything but we'd appreciate it more if you also kept us," she motioned between her and Sam, "The parents at mind too."

"Fine…" Kurt pouted, "I'm only agreeing because I think it's adorable that Sam is even here. You haven't heard the last of me yet!"

After their brief Kurt intervention the tension between everyone had went back to normally. Mercedes loved the attention she was receiving from Sam's mom. It didn't make up for her mothers lack of participation, but it did make her feel better. She smiled knowing that her babies would at least have a loving grandmother in the picture, even if it wasn't hers. The sound of Sam squealing caught her off guard.

"Did you just squeal?" she asked suspiciously

He grinned, "Yes! Look what I found. It's so totally awesome and I know you'll think it's awesome too!" he said grabbing her arm

"Slow down!"

Sam had dragged her over to a booth that was setup in the store. After looking it over she realized that it was a video recording booth. She turned to look at Sam as he grinned wildly at her bobbing his head up and down.

"Isn't this amazing!" he shouted, "We can make a little music video for them."

"Aw Sam, that's so cute!"

They both got into the booth, "What should we sing?" he asked

Mercedes look clueless, "I don't know… maybe a baby related song?"

"Hmm… Blessed by Elton John? Do you know it love?" he asked

"I think so…"

"Ok… follow my lead."

He put some money into the machine and waited for it to load up. They had looked around the selection menu to choose their backdrop scene for their video. Sam was getting excited typing in their welcome message.

"Ok Cedes, on the count of three we record the greeting first, ok?"

"Ok"

They waited for the flash to turn green, "Hi babies! This is your daddy Sam," he introduced waving insanely at the camera.

"And your mother Mercedes"

"We love you both so much!" he cooed

"And we can't wait to see you. Your father and I would like to sing for you."

"We're really good singers, especially your mom so don't worry you'll have musical talent too!"

Mercedes laughed, "Sam!"

_[Sam]_

_Hey you, you're a child in my head  
You haven't walked yet  
Your first words have yet to be said  
But I swear you'll be blessed_

Sam had started to sing and immediately her heart started to melt. He was always so sexy when he sang. She watched him carefully to pick up on queue her part to sing. He slung his arm over her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

_**[Mercedes]**__  
I know you're still just a dream  
your eyes might be green  
Or the bluest that I've ever seen  
Anyway you'll be blessed_

_**[Sam + Mercedes]**__  
And you, you'll be blessed  
You'll have the best  
I promise you that  
I'll pick a star from the sky  
Pull your name from a hat  
I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that  
You'll be blessed_

_**[Mercedes]**__  
I need you before I'm too old  
To have and to hold  
To walk with you and watch you grow  
And know that you're blessed _

She and Sam were now singing to each other; both watching each other intensely as they sang in harmony. Sam had the biggest goofy grin on his face as he stared at her.

**_[Sam + Mercedes]_**

_And you, you'll be blessed  
You'll have the best  
I promise you that  
I'll pick a star from the sky  
Pull your name from a hat  
I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that  
You'll be blessed_

Sam ended the video and waited for the CD to be written. He was so excited with their accomplishment that he had started to get teary eyed. Mercedes rubbed his back softly as she cuddled into him smiling.

"Think they will like it?" she asked

"They'll love it!"

* * *

**Song "Blessed" by Elton John**

**REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

This was it! Today was the big day for Sam. He had put in long hours and lack of sex with Mercedes in order to make sure he was ready for the test. Mercedes had frowned at his "No Sex Diet", claiming that he'd focus more if he was sexually frustrated. She accepted his declaration and tried to find other ways to keep herself satisfied. Kurt had been healing and was cleared by the doctor to go back to New York. He promised Mercedes that he wouldn't leave until after the baby shower. She and Sam had told everyone that they would extend their stay until he passed his exam. Now the day of dawning was finally here and Sam was more nervous than ever. She had suggested that they stop by the Glee room before his test to boost his confidence. Sam had protested against it but Mercedes stood her ground. He gave in and told her to let him talk to their friends first.

Sucking in his breath Sam strolled into the Glee room after being absent for nearly two months. Mr. Shuester had looked shocked to see him standing there. Sam stood there with a lopsided grin gently waving to everyone.

"Hey everybody… guess you thought you'd never see my face again," he said

"Brother, where have you been!" Joe asked hugging Sam

"Are you staying?" Marley asked

"Sam it's good to see you and see that you're ok," Mr. Shuester said

Sam nodded, "I'm alive and well as you can see. And no Marley I'm not staying," he paused looking at Sugar briefly, "I wanted to tell you guys myself that I am here to take my GED."

"Sam!"

"You're leaving for good?" Artie asked

Sam slightly nodded before turning around motioning towards the door. Mercedes appeared around the corner slowly as everyone but Tina, Blaine, Brittany, Artie and Sugar had. She stood next to Sam smiling as he slipped his arm around her waist and kissed the side of his face. He covered her hand that lay on her stomach with his.

"After I take my exam and pass we're going back to LA for good," he announced

"Sam you're leaving Glee club?" Mr. Shuester asked

"Yeah, my kids are going to need me more than Glee will, sorry."

Mercedes frowned, "I've missed you guys, including you Mr. Shue," she said

"How are you?" he asked

"Doing as well as I can be. I've got two little wrestlers living inside me, things are going great at the record company and I'm still keeping good grades at UCLA," she replied

Mr. Shuester looked at Sam worriedly, "Sam, what are you going to be doing out in LA after you get your GED."

"Well right now I'm working with a film company as a crew hand for movie and TV sets. I was very lucky to have landed the job when I got out there to be with Mercedes. Other than that we're just excited and waiting for the birth of our twins."

"Are you ready for all that Sam?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. They're the best things that have ever happened to me."

Sugar was barely containing her anger. If this were a video game Mercedes would be her target instantly. She couldn't believe how Sam disgustingly spoke about his new life, as if she never meant anything to him. "Quit sipping on the haterade," Tina hissed to her. Sugar didn't care about anything as she continued to stare angrily at Sam. Mercedes had shot her a questionable look.

"I figured having Sam and I come by and officially say goodbye to everyone was fitting, plus help calm down his test taking nerves," Mercedes said

"Well you guys have the floor," Mr. Shuester said stepping off to the side.

Sam helped Mercedes onto a stool before grabbing a guitar off from the side. "I want to say thank you guys so much for being like a second family to us. You don't know how much glee has helped me when I felt like no one else was there," he spoke strumming the guitar strings.

**_[Mercedes]_**

_And I never thought I'd feel this way  
And as far as I'm concerned  
I'm glad I got the chance to say  
That I do believe I love you_

**_[Sam]_**

_And if I should ever go away  
Well, then close your eyes and try to feel  
The way we do today  
And then if you can remember_

**_[Mercedes]_**

_Keep smilin', keep shinin'  
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure  
That's what friends are for  
For good times and bad times_

**_[Sam + Mercedes]_**_  
I'll be on your side forever more  
That's what friends are for_

The other glee members were smiling at them except Sugar. Tina got up to join them on the floor. As she was walking down the riser she purposely bumped into Sugar on her way down. Blaine couldn't resist as he shot up and joined the trio as well. He threw his arms around Sam and Mercedes. Joe took over playing guitar for Sam.

**_[_****_Blaine_****_]_**

_Well, you came and opened me  
And now there's so much more I see  
And so by the way I thank you_

Tina hugged her best friend and pulled up a stool next to her. Mercedes rested her head on Tina's shoulder. It was definitely a Kodak moment for the group as they stood huddled together swaying and singing. Both Sam and Mercedes couldn't contain their smiles at their friends.

**_[Tina]_**

_Whoa, and then for the times when we're apart  
Well, then close your eyes and know  
These words are comin' from my heart  
And then if you can remember, oh_

**_[Mercedes + Tina + Sam + Blaine]_**

_Keep smiling, keep shining  
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure  
That's what friends are for  
In good times, in bad times  
I'll be on your side forever more  
Oh, that's what friends are for_

Artie had been watching from Sugar's side. He had glanced over to see her displeased look at the performance in front of her. At that moment any annoyance he had felt for Sam was washed away. Tina had caught his attention motioning for him to join them on the floor. Brittany took it upon herself to push Artie over to the group. He reached out and grabbed Mercedes hand. He mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Sam. Sam accepted his apology.

**_[Artie]_**

_Whoa... oh... oh... keep smilin', keep shinin'  
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure_

**_[Everyone]_**

_That's what friends are for  
For good times and bad times  
I'll be on your side forever more  
That's what friends are for_

**_[Sam]_**

_Keep smilin', keep shinin'  
Knowin' you can always count on me, oh, for sure_

**_[Sam + Joe]_**_  
'Cause I tell you that's what friends are for  
For good times and for bad times_

**_[Everyone]_**_  
I'll be on your side forever more  
That's what friends are for (That's what friends are for)_

**_[Mercedes]_**

_On me, for sure  
That's what friends are for  
Keep smilin', keep shinin' _

Sam and Mercedes had exchanged hugs with the group. Even the new members had left their seats to congratulate the couple. Sugar remained in her seat staring down at the floor. She didn't want to hate Mercedes but she couldn't control her feelings for Sam. Mercedes had sensed that Sugar was down and approached her. She decided to plaster a fake smile on her face.

"Hey girl!" Mercedes said giving Sugar a hug.

"Hey yourself," was all she replied with.

Looking around the room Sam noticed Mercedes was nowhere near him. Once he spotted her he felt the hair standup on the back of his neck. His anxiety started to rise as he noticed how annoyed Sugar had looked at Mercedes presence, meanwhile Mercedes was unfazed by her facial expression. He knew he should have probably told her ahead of time that he and Sugar dated so that she wouldn't be caught in the middle of it.

"Congrats man on everything. You have a lot of heart so I know you'll make a good dad," Joe said interrupting his thoughts.

"Thanks man. Thank you everyone for everything! You've really helped me calm my nerves down for my test."

"Speaking of test," Mercedes shouted looking at her phone, "Sam I think it's time."

Mercedes waved off to Sugar as she joined Sam's side. Sugar let her face fall as soon as Mercedes back was turned. They both had bid farewell to the group and left the music room. Once out in the hallway Mercedes stopped Sam by wrapping her arms around his waist. She awkwardly leaned into him as her belly was preventing her from getting any closer.

"You ready baby?" she asked staring up at him

He smiled, "I've got my thinking cap on. Don't worry your man is going to be a GED wielding fool in the next few hours," he said with confidence.

"I'm so proud of you," she said leaning in to kiss him only to be interrupted by her phone, "Uh oh, I got to take this. It's Travis."

"Ok babe, see afterwards," he kissed her before jogging off down the hall.

"Hello?" she said into the phone

"Mercedes baby, how are you?" Travis asked sweetly

She rested her hand on her back, "I'm doing good. I'm still in Lima. I should be back in LA in the next few days safe and sound."

"That's good to hear! How's your friend Kyle?"

"Kurt," she corrected, "He's doing a whole lot better. His wound wasn't fatal or anything. Although he's been going through some life changes since being shot. I mean who wouldn't, right?" she laughed

"That's good to hear. How are the babies?"

"Oh they're doing very well. Sam and I have just been taking it easy since we got here. He was worried about me stressing myself out."

Travis sucked his teeth, "That's great that he's keeping you calm…" he said

Mercedes noticed the silence "Is something wrong?"

"No not at all. Actually the reason I'm calling is business related."

"I had figured much, you are the producer," she chuckled

"Well that's what I want to talk to you about," he paused, "How would you feel about me managing you as a solo artist?"

Mercedes braced herself against the lockers, "What! Are you serious?" she shrieked

"Dead serious. You have an amazing voice and I love the work that you do. But let's face it you ain't no back up singer, you're meant to be a headliner."

"Aw… Travis! I don't know what to say!"

"Well think about it for a bit. When you get back to LA we can talk more about this in the studio and see if we want to make things official."

"Ok! This is so amazing! I can't wait to tell Sam."

"Yeah…I hope he doesn't mind us having to work more closely together," he said deeply

"Sam? No, he's not the jealous type."

"Well that's good"

Mercedes hadn't noticed that Sugar had been standing behind her during her conversation with Travis. She had ended her call and went to place her phone back into her purse when she noticed Sugar standing there. She smiled at her friend and turned around to give her her full attention.

"Hey Sugar, are you ok? You seemed kind of down in the room earlier," Mercedes asked tilting her head.

Sugar stared at her wondering if she could go through with her plan, "No Mercedes… I'm not ok. In fact I haven't been ok in like months."

"What's the matter? Is it your family? Did your dad accidentally make a bad investment?"

"No nothing like that," Sugar trailed off but then brought her eyes to focus on Mercedes, "It's you. You're my problem," she said sternly.

Mercedes was taken back by her statement, "Me? What did I do to you?"

"Sam…"

"Sam? What does Sam have to do with this?" she asked leaning against the lockers.

"I don't want you dating Sam! Why did you have to ruin things for me!"

"Hold the fuck up, how did I ruin shit for you with Sam?"

"You don't know?"

"Don't know what? You're not making any fucking sense Sugar. If you're going to accuse me of shit at least have the decently to tell me what I did first!"

Sugar looked at her stunned, "Well…Sam and I are dating… he disappeared and didn't tell me where he was going. He came back and told me that he was now with you and that your babies," she said smugly, "Were his babies too. He ended things with me as if I didn't matter at all! How is that fair to me Mercedes? I waited and worried about him for two months and he comes back to tell me he traded me in for his baby mama!"

"When the fuck did you and Sam start dating?" Mercedes was now starting to get angry.

"We've been dating ever since you left! Doesn't he tell you shit?" she asked, "You really are so classy Mercedes to let him knock you up and then have no idea what he was doing behind your back! He didn't even give your failed relationship enough time to heal before he was all over me!"

Mercedes winced at the sudden memory of Sam's Facebook status. That pain came rolling back to her, "That was in the past…"

"Really? I don't think so because I know for a fact that Sam still loves me. The only thing standing in the way is you!" she said taking a step closer to Mercedes.

At any other point in her life she wouldn't have felt threatened by her approach, but she had her babies to think about so she took a step back, "Keep your distance from me Sugar…" she warned

Sugar stepped again, "No… what are you going to do about?"

"I'm warning you…"

"Leave Sam! Leave him now! Go back to LA where you fucking came from. You don't belong with him!"

"The hell I don't? Who do you think you are talking to me like I'm not a person?"

"You mean nothing to me! I don't understand you Mercedes. How can you want to be with Sam? Don't you see that you and your baggage are a damn burden? Sam's a good person with a whole lot to offer other than leaving school to get a useless GED and be a teenager baby daddy. YOU RUINED SAM'S LIFE!"

Mercedes felt like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Sugar's last statement echoed in her brain. She stood their frozen as a blazing Sugar continued to stare her down. This entire conversation had her emotions running high and alert. She rubbed her stomach to soothe the ache she was feeling at the moment. She had been certain that if she didn't get her emotions under control that she would vomit right on the spot. The last thing she wanted was for Sugar to see her weakness and know that she had gotten to her. It took all she had to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

"Sam makes his own choices," Mercedes said calmly

"He wouldn't have had to make this choice if you hadn't forced him into a corner. I mean really Mercedes, it's not rocket science. If Sam hadn't been a good person that he is do you think he would really choose you again over this," she said posing, "A filthy rich, thin and beautiful girl? I don't think so! That's why girls like Quinn and Santana came before you."

Mercedes clenched her free hand, "I don't have to stand here and hear your pathetic argument. First of all you sound like a pressed psycho that doesn't know when to let shit go when shit don't want you anymore. How dare you try to imply that I forced Sam into this! He is a grown man who can make his own fucking choices-"

"No he feels obligated! Wouldn't you if some piece of ass you fucked without a condom came back and told you they was pregnant with their kid? Sam's a noble person!"

"Stop putting him on a fucking pedestal! We all have flaws Sugar. Stop acting like Sam is so saintly and that I am ruining his chances of getting into heaven. Just accept that he chose us over you. It was always me, even before you ever stepped foot into this school. I may have not seen it in the past but I know that now. It will always be me and him in the end. The two of us went to hell and back again for each and we are not letting each other go. Despite what you and people like you think Sam and I love each for what and who we are not for who we pretend to be or for certain parts. Do you even know Sam? Really know him? Outside of his American boy looks, do you know his nerdy side, his dark side, how deep he really is or do you only see him as shallow as the water you stand in?"

Sugar was at a loss for words. She hated to admit it but she really didn't know much about Sam other then that he was a stripper, a jock, poor, funny and extremely handsome. They barely have ever had conversations that didn't center around what they were doing for the night or Glee club. Picking her head back up she had declared that even if she didn't know all those things Mercedes had just mentioned she would learn to love them.

"I am not shallow! I have feelings too you know! No one ever thinks that I have feelings to hurt. Did it ever dawn onto you that I liked Sam because he made me like I wasn't just this spoiled girl who got her way all the time? That maybe, just maybe he actually made me think about my life. Sure ok, I don't ever want to be poor, but that doesn't mean I can't think about his poorness and feel bad. How can you even say that you love him and that you two are meant to be together when you ran away from him?"

"You don't even know what happened between us so keep your speculating to yourself!"

"Oh but I do know. I know that you ran away from him and took his babies all the way to LA! While you were living it up in your new pop star life Sam was here falling apart because you left him behind. Who was there to pick up the pieces? Huh? Me! That's who. So how dare you think you can just waltz back into his life and allow him to accept the role as Daddy Sam when you never wanted him to be anything more to you? What kind of person does that? A fool does that! And Sugar Motta isn't a fool, ok? Besides what kind of example are you going to set your kids anyways? I'm sure they would love to know that they almost didn't have a daddy because you pushed him away. I don't know about you but I have a really good relationship with my daddy. He's like my best friend and I couldn't imagine not having my daddy around."

"I don't have to answer any of your questions nor do I have to take any of this harassment from you…" Mercedes said as she turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Sugar said running in front of her, "Take this…"

As she unzipped her purse Mercedes watched her carefully to make sure she wasn't about to do anything dangerous. As silly as it sounded it wasn't out of the total realm of possibility that Sugar was just that crazy to bring harm to her and her babies. When Sugar's hand reappeared it wasn't a gun or a knife. It was a thick white envelope. Sugar thrust the envelope in her hands and waited patiently for Mercedes to open it. Mercedes carefully tore the top open to reveal a large sum of money in it. Immediately her eyes saw red and she could no longer contain her anger.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" she screamed throwing the money at Sugar, "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"Take the money and leave Lima and Sam behind. I'm sure that's enough money for you. If you want more I'll give you more."

"I don't want your fucking money! HOW DARE YOU! You can't just buy Sam like he's a piece of fucking property for sale!" Mercedes breath was now a little jagged as she rubbed her unsettling stomach.

"Take the money! You have nothing left here! Word around Lima is that your own parents don't want you here. There's nothing here for you anymore. Take the money and leave Sam again!"

"I will not abandon Sam!"

"You seemed to not have enough trouble the first time around. Why would this time be any different?"

That was it. That was her triggering point. Her parents had taught her that violence didn't solve anything but like Kurt had learned the hard way a long time ago, Mercedes was a force to not be reckoned with. Balling up her fist she quickly jerked her arm up clocking Sugar square in the nose. Sugar stood their frozen as the blood started to drip down her face. She clamped her hand on her face and started to cry. Mercedes' aura was on fire now and she was prepared to dish out another hit if she had too. Sugar just shook her head at her in fear as the classroom door had opened. Mr. Shuester had stepped out to see what all the commotion was about. What he didn't expect to find was an angry and in pain looking Mercedes staring down a bloody nosed Sugar. He immediately placed himself in between the two girls.

"What's going on here?" he asked looking between them, "Sugar, you're bleeding!"

"She hit me!" Sugar cried loudly. Her voice was loud enough to bring out the other Glee members.

"This bitch…" Mercedes hissed under her breath as she leaned against the lockers for support.

Tina noticed her friend's movement, "Mercedes are you ok?" she asked rushing to her.

"I'm fine T, I just need to sit down and drink some water."

"MY NOSE! She broke my pretty nose!"

"Calm down Sugar," Mr. Shuester had said, "Mercedes why would you do this?"

"It was nothing Mr. Shue…"

"NOTHING! I'm going to sue you! Is that what you want? You'll be paying me out of the ass once I'm done with you!"

Joe and Jacob had grabbed a hold of Sugar and ushered her away towards the nurse's station. Everyone was now focusing all their attention on Mercedes. Her anger had now started to return to normal and all she wanted to do was find Sam. It was as if someone had heard her prayers as Sam had rounded the corner with a large smile on his face. He took note of the crowd in the hallway that had been focused on Mercedes. Instantly his smile disappeared from his face as he ran to her.

"Love, are you ok? Is it the babies? Are they alright?" he asked quickly.

"I'm fine Sam," Mercedes said in a monotone voice.

"No you're not babe. What's wrong? Why is everyone out here?"

"Dude you should have seen it! Mercedes cold clocked Sugar in the face like damn!" Artie said

Sam's eyes were wild, "Mercedes you didn't?" he asked worried

"I don't want to talk about this Sam…"

"Mercedes…"

"Take me home Sam. I'm really tired and I don't want to talk about this."

Not wanting to press the situation any further he draped an arm around her as they started to walk. No one wanted to say anything to either of them as they walked away from the crowd. Artie leaned forward in his chair.

"Hey look I found a twenty!" he exclaimed

* * *

**Song "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick and Friends**

***Author's Note:**

**Sugar's a class act isn't she? Gotta love the girl a little for having some balls to even attempt to step to Mercedes. Hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to leave reviews!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The tension was high between the two of them after what had went down with Mercedes and Sugar. Mercedes had mentally decided that she wouldn't ruin the event their friends and family had planned for them and instead focused on the party with Kurt. Everyone in the house could sense the tension between them but no one spoke on it. Sam was taking the silent treatment the hardest. He felt guilty because had he never even accepted Sugar's offer he wouldn't be on the outs with Mercedes. He also felt that had he told Mercedes up front that he had forgotten to break things off with Sugar that she would have been less angry with him and more annoyed at Sugar's intentions. Since he did neither he was now spending the rest of his time in Lima watching TV with Burt or helping move things around the Hudson-Hummel home.

Today was the day of the party and everyone in the house was getting excited. Sam had put his best effort forward to be happy because they were celebrating the new Evans's babies. _'If I just focus on my kids I can get through this with her,'_ he told himself. Tina had taken Mercedes out for lunch while he and the rest of the Glee members got the house decorated per Kurt's orders. Kurt had a clipboard that he had decorated to match the theme of the baby shower. He and Tina had come to an agreement on the theme. They decided it'd be easier without characters and instead focused on colors. Mercedes had stated she didn't want stereotypical colors for the twins so they agreed on Lavender and Yellow. Since Sam was the tallest out of the group he was assigned to hanging up wall decorations while Blaine decorated everything else. Artie was in charge of putting together favors with Marley. Kurt had called Finn and Rachel but they had declined and would send their gift to the couple directly. Brittany, Wade and Kitty were assigned to preparing the snacks and beverages for everyone. Joe and Jacob had cleaning duty. Quinn was upset that she wouldn't be able to attend and called Mercedes herself to apologize.

"So Sam…" Kurt said catching Sam's attention, "Have you and Mercedes talked?"

Sam sighed "No, she really doesn't want to discuss what happened. She's afraid it'll ruin her mood for the party and she wants to be in the best mood today."

"I see…you should probably talk about it on the drive back to LA. You guys can't spend a three day car ride together and not talk. It's not healthy."

"I know this Kurt. I intend to get her to talk to me whether she likes it or not."

Tina had taken Mercedes to Breadstix's for lunch. If it was one thing Mercedes didn't miss it was this place. The last time she was here things didn't exactly go well for her. LA also had more of a variety of food to offer that could top Breadstix's any day. She knew this mini girl's day out was to keep her away from the house so she would be surprised. Mercedes had been excited all day long and couldn't wait until their lunch date was over.

To enhance the surprise Tina had blindfolded Mercedes before pulling up to Kurt's house. She let Tina guide her by the hand because she was afraid that she would trip and fall. Once they got to what she imagined was the door, Tina knocked to a certain rhythm. She heard the door open as she was led inside. There was nothing but silence in the room. She felt Tina untie her blindfold from her face. As soon as it was removed she heard everyone yell "Surprise!" She looked around the room in awe. Everything was decorated in lavender and yellow. Tina side eyed Kurt at the sight of little lambs hanging from the walls as if they were sleeping on clouds. Kurt grinned at her sheepishly as she continued to glare. Mercedes didn't know what to say. She still held her hand clamped over her mouth as her friends smiled at her. She immediately noticed Sam who too was smiling sheepishly at her.

"Guys… this is amazing!" she exclaimed

Mrs. Evans's face lit up, "Yeah she likes it!"

"Of course she'd like it," Kurt scoffed, "It was put together by Decorations by Hummel," Tina cleared her voice, "And… Chang Inspirations…" he added.

"I love you it so much. Thank you everyone."

Sam cautiously approached her before grabbing her hand. She smiled at him as he led her to a seat that was decorated especially for her. She sat down she looked around the room at everyone. Even though she was smiling she still had a heavy heart because her parents wouldn't be able to share this joy with them. Sam pulled a seat up next to her as he tied a paper plate with ribbon to her head. She looked curiously at his actions.

"Presents! Is it time to open them yet?" Stacy asked

"Slow down Stace, no one's opening anything until Mercedes is ready," Dwight said

Mercedes smiled, "I'm ready,"

Kurt shook his head, "Yes everything is on schedule. We'll do presents and then games afterwards," he said checking things off his clipboard.

"What should I open first?" she turned her head towards Sam, "Will you help me open everything?" she asked

"Sure!" he beamed

Taking advantage of Mercedes mood he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Mercedes turned around surprised and smiled at him. He grinned at her as Kurt came over and placed a similar ribbon plate on his head. His grin became wider as the group in front of them awed at their matching attire. Tina stood next to the gift table handing the first bag to Sam. He took out the card and handed the bag to Mercedes.

"To the coolest couple ever who will have even cooler babies! But don't put them in a freezer by accident! Love Brittany," Sam said laughing

Mercedes pulled out two matching Hello Kitty dresses, "Um…thank you Brittany?" she said

Brittany smiled, "I know you're having a boy and a girl but I got two dresses in case the boy was born a gay unicorn."

Sam's parents couldn't help but stare at her, "We'll keep that in mind," Sam said

"Next!" Kurt yelled

Tina pushed an extremely large box towards Sam, "Maybe you should open this one."

Mercedes took the card, "For the newest editions to the Evans family. Here is to many years of seeing them grow into beautiful adults and live amazing lives like their parents. We love you both and we're so excited to be grandparents, love mom and dad," she read with tears in her eyes.

She looked at Sam's parents with such awe. Sam rubbed her shoulder, "I told you you'd always have family," he whispered to her. He went to work tearing off the wrapping paper. Everyone gasped as the item was revealed. It was the double twin car seat travel system that Mercedes had seen at the store the other day. Sam stared at the gift that his parents had given them. Tears sprang to his eyes at the present knowing that it probably cost a good chunk of money out of their savings, even though they were still getting back on their feet. The fact that they would spare money they could have used on themselves and his siblings for his unborn children moved him. Mercedes could sense his emotions. She took the ribbon from the package and stuck it on top of his plate with a smile.

"Ma…pa…this is just…wow…" Sam said amazed, "Thank you so much…"

"I can't believe you got this for us…" Mercedes said touched

"Well these are the only grand babies we are going to have for awhile so we splurged a little," Dwight said brightly

Sam got up and hugged his father, "Thank you"

"Just trying to make my boy and his special girl happy."

It took them over an hour to get through all the cards and gifts. By the end of it all both Mercedes and Sam were trying to out ribbon each other on who had the most ribbons on their plate hat. Mercedes had won but Sam claimed that he looked better in his stylish hat. They had received so many gifts from everyone. The Hudson-Hummel's had brought them two bassinets, as well as diapers and clothes. Kurt had brought the sleeping lamb bed set he picked out on their outing along with two sleepers and a baby emergency kit. Tina had given them diapers, bottles, pacifiers and two Halloween themed outfits. Blaine had gotten two bouncers. Mr. Shuester, Emma and the remaining Glee members pooled together and got them a pack and play center. Surprisingly Sue's new motherhood title had made her a little softer. So soft that she sent them a $300 gift card 'To the new parents, Aretha and The Kentucky Fried Stripper'. Sam made a mental note that the next time he encountered Sue he would hug her. The rest of their gifts were clothing, diapers and a shit load of onesizes and 'binkies'.

As on schedule Kurt had the furniture rearranged again so that they could get ready for party games. Mercedes was excited to see what games he and Tina had setup for her. The first game was to bet on the birth weight by vote. Everyone had guessed around 6 to 7 pounds. Stevie had guessed that the babies would weigh a million pounds. The next game they had played was guessing her waist size with toilet paper. Sam had thought it'd be funny to mummy wrap Artie in his chair. Blaine had randomly started to sing to her stomach dubbing himself 'The Second Best Godfather and Third Baby Daddy.' Sam couldn't believe at the titles that he and Kurt had given themselves. The last game they had played was a decorating game that Tina thought would be so much fun. Everyone got paintbrushes and decorated Mercedes belly. Stacy drew hearts while Stevie drew his version of a Power Ranger. Kurt had made a decorative border. Mrs. Evans painted grass with flowers. Sam painted The Avengers logo over her navel, while Blaine drew music notes. Brittany painted Lord Tubbington chasing the hearts in the field. Everyone else had drawn little things and so forth.

"So now that gifts and games are over. It's time to get down to the real deal," Mrs. Evans said

"Yes! You have to tell us what names you've guys have picked out," Blaine stated

Mercedes and Sam exchanged glances, "Well…we really haven't set anything in stone," Sam said

"Um…" Mercedes started, "What do you have in mind Sam?" she asked

"Oh wow… um… well I have ideas…" he started

"Sam's picking out our daughters name since I picked our sons'."

"What's my grandson's name going to be?" Dwight asked

Mercedes held her breath as everyone leaned in for her response, "…it's Isaiah…"

Everyone awed, "Isaiah? What led to that?" Wade asked

"Is there a meaning behind it?" Carole asked

"Well…it's a biblical reference. Plus I wanted to break the tradition of Jones babies having 'M' names. There's me, my brother Marley, my cousin Maria, my cousin Martin, my cousins Maxine and Maxwell… you get the picture."

"Jones?" Dwight asked curiously

Sam looked at her, "She's a Jones Pa, but our babies are Evans," he smiled, "Unless she wants to hyphenate them with Jones-Evans. Either way Evans is still their last names," he said proudly.

"So Isaiah Evans…" Kurt said writing on his clipboard, "I need to keep this on hand for monogramming."

"Monogramming?" Sam asked

"Um yes… I plan to develop a line of chic baby clothes dedicated to my favorite niece and nephew."

"They're our only niece and nephew dear," Blaine reminded him.

"Whatever! They are going to be the adorable faces behind my line. I think Mercedes can agree with me that the world shouldn't be deprived of the Prince and Princess of soul."

Sam cleared his throat, "Rock and roll," he interjected

Breaking up their delusional, "So Sam… what's your daughters name going to be?" Marley asked with excitement.

"Well…" he looked at Mercedes wide eyed, "Don't kill me ok?" Mercedes raised an eyebrow at him as he sighed, "The name that I picked for my little munchkin is….drum roll please…" Artie started beating on his legs, "Aurora Munroe. Except spelled like an Aura instead of the original way because she has an Aura about her already and will take the world by storm," he stated biting his lip to contain his smile.

"Aurora Munroe?" Kurt asked

"Sam… why does that name sound familiar?" Mercedes inquired staring at him.

"Well… I was inspired by X-Men…"

"OH MY GOD SAM!" Kurt shrieked, "Really?"

"I think that's so cool," Joe said

"I'm down for that name," Jacob agreed

Kurt shot them looks, "Of course you would. Sam, Sammy, Samuel Evans… What in Gagaus possessed you to pick that name!"

"Hey! It's not Avatar related. Besides I love comic books and I already know that I love my daughter more than them," he glanced at Mercedes, "Not as much as I love my wife…"

"HOLD THE PHONE!" Tina shouted

"You're wife?" Mary repeated with her mouth opened

"Sam…" Mercedes warned

"I missed the wedding…" Brittany said sadly

Mercedes held up her hand, "Before anyone dies of shock Sam and I didn't have a gunshot wedding. We're not legally married and it was his idea."

Now everyone was staring at him, "Explain this son," Dwight pressed

"Ok so I already know that I totally want to marry Mercedes. I mean who wouldn't? I just figured we'd get used to our future together by acknowledging our titles now. It may not be legal yet but I consider myself a darn good husband,." he said stomping his foot for emphasis, "Yes I already know that two people having a baby together don't have to get married but even before I accidentally filled her with babies I knew in my heart I was going to marry her in the end."

"You and I will talk later," his mother said

The rest of the party had gone well into the wee hours of the night. Burt was dreading the mess he and Sam would have to clean up the next day. His prayers were answered when Tina and Brittany had offered to help clean up since the boys had done the setting up. Dwight and Sam were busy trying to fit the gifts into Mercedes 2005 Honda Accord. No one had wanted her to lift a finger so she stayed in the living room watching her friends and family clean up around her. The party was amazing and she couldn't believe all the gifts they had gotten. However at the end of it all, something was still missing.

Her family…

She felt a tinge in her heart at the thought that her parents were never going to come around. If she could make a wish it would be that they had been here to celebrate with her and Sam. They would be leaving for LA tomorrow. She didn't know when the next time they would be in Lima again. Making up her mind she decided that before they leave for good she was going to make once last attempt to reach out to her mother. She knew her father was a lost cause and that it would take a long time for him to heal. But she did know her mother. Something inside of her was backing up her plan. Tomorrow while Sam packed their things she would confront her mother at work whether her mother liked it or not.

* * *

**Thank you guys again for all the wonderful reviews! Maybe this is the last we'll see of Sugar... who knows?**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

For once in the past few days Sam and Mercedes had slept comfortably with each other. Mercedes knew that she and Sam would eventually have to discuss what happened between her and Sugar. However she just wasn't ready too. Not because she was mad at Sam but because without evening knowing it Sugar had hit all of her vulnerable spots with what she had said. Especially when Sugar had let into the air that she thought she was ruining Sam's life with her pregnancy. That was what hurt the worst. Too many times too often had she though about the sacrifices Sam has made for her. They had all the time in the world to discuss this, right now she only had today to get this right with her mother. She hoped that in the end she could make her mother listen to her and that it would bring them closer together. The worse would be that it would drive them further apart.

Mercedes hadn't been feeling like herself lately. She and Sam barely spoke after the fight she had with Sugar. She didn't mean to blame Sam for the argument; she was just frustrated and tired. All she wanted to do was to have everyone be at peace with her. She couldn't take the fighting or arguing anymore, it was wearing her down. Wanting to be the bigger person she decided to visit her mother alone; without Sam and without her father present. She thought that maybe they could have a heart to heart with each other because it was killing Mercedes to have no connection with her mother. She had hoped that someday she and her daughter would be close enough that if this should ever happen to her she would be there for her.

"Do you need something Mercedes?" Her mother asked not looking from her desk.

Her mother's office was very sterile looking, "I…um…wanted to know if we could talk?" she muttered

"Talk about what?"

"About me being pregnant"

Her mother sighed, "That's not something I want to discuss right now…"

"Mom please look at me!" she yelled

Alisha snatched her glasses off her face to stare up at her daughter, "What do you want me to say to you Mercedes? Do you want me to say I'm over the moon about this? Jump for joy?"

"No…but I expect you to have something to say."

"Your father and I already said what we had to say."

"No he said what he had to say, you just let him talk instead of talking too!"

"What else am I supposed to say to you? I made my feelings clear Mercedes."

"So that's it? You're just going to abandon me without so much as an eyelash bat?"

"Do you want it in writing?" she responded smugly

"Why can't you just be my mom? All my life you were everything but my mom. I need my mom!"

"You don't need me, you have Sam…" she said saying his name bitterly.

"That doesn't mean I don't need you!"

"Mercedes, please stop embarrassing yourself. You and that boy already shamed yourselves for an entire lifetime!"

"Why can't you understand that I'm happy! Are you going to pretend like I don't exist?"

Alisha looked away, "You stopped existing to me the moment you stepped foot into our house with child."

"I can't believe you! You act like I killed someone and need to hide the body. I am guilty of nothing so stop making me feel like I'm guilty of everything I do!" she screamed

Suddenly that awkwardness she had been feeling hit her at full force. She leaned forward grabbing onto the desk in front of her for support. The pain she was feeling right now was so intense she thought she was going to faint. Using her free hand she gripped her stomach while trying to catch her breath. Her mother sat frozen looking at her as she tried to regain composure.

"Mercedes, are you ok?" her mother asked worriedly.

"I…think…I think something's wrong… oh shit this fucking hurts!" she cursed

She ran around the side of her desk, "Oh sweetie, breathe… it's going to be ok."

"Mom," she started to cry, "I think I'm going into labor…"

"Ok honey, breathe. How far long are you?"

"26 weeks… this hurts so bad. Please help me…" she cried

"Ok, sit down and I'll get a nurse."

Mercedes watched as her mother dashed out of the room. By now the pain was so intense she took to squatting on the floor for comfort. It felt like she was having the worse period of her life. She kept checking herself to make sure there wasn't any bleeding. One of her biggest fears since becoming pregnant was losing her babies. If anything happened to them she would devastated…Sam would be inconsolable.

Oh shit Sam!

* * *

By the time she was able to find her phone her mother had come back with a nurse and wheelchair. They helped her in as they sped off to the maternity floor. They were greeted by a doctor that Mercedes had never seen before. Her head felt like it was spinning and the words being said around her sounded like gibberish. All she knew was that she was being escorted into a room. Both her mother had and the nurse had helped her up as she took agonizing steps towards the bed. Without warning she felt herself become wet.

"Mom I think I'm bleeding!" she cried hunched over the bed.

The nurse ran to her side again to check on her, "No blood. It looks like your amniotic fluid is leaking."

"Is that good or bad," she said through gritted teeth.

"Both. If it's not serious you'll be put on medication, if it is you may go into early labor."

She started to cry, "I can't go into early labor! I still have about 3 months to go."

"We'll get you situated and something to ease the pain ok? I need you to undress as quickly as possible so we can get you into bed."

She couldn't stop crying. The nurse had assisted with helping her change out of her clothes and into hospital gown. Her mother had remained on the other side of the room out of the way looking tearful at her daughter. All Mercedes wanted to do was roll over and die. Where was Sam? Did her mother already call him? She needed him to be there with her to get through this because she was certain that she wouldn't be able to do it without him. Once she had been placed in her gown she slowly got into the bed. The nurse immediately started checking her and the babies' vitals. She was afraid to ask them what they were doing to her. After the nurse had finished checking her she had put a heart rate monitor around her belly to monitor the babies' activity. It seemed instantly a rather tall brunette doctor had walked into the room.

"Hello Mercedes, I'm Doctor Green," he said extending his hand to her, "I see according to your charts you're showing signs of early labor and are at 26 weeks with twins?"

"Yes…"

"Oh my goodness! Mercedes you're having twins?" her mother gasped

The doctor ignored the woman's outcry, "Ok well we have your medical history on file so we're going to go ahead and give you some Indocin to slow down your labor. Have you been under a lot of stress Mercedes?"

She briefly glanced at her mother, "Very," she said flatly

"Ok… now I have to be honest, you're laboring pretty intensely. If we can't regulate it then we're going to have to schedule you for an emergency caesarean to get the babies out. It says you're carrying a boy and a girl?"

"You can't take my babies out yet! They aren't fully developed," she said hysterically

"Relax, we will do everything in our power to make sure that it doesn't lead to that."

"Where's Sam mom? Please call him!"

"I don't know his number…" Alisha replied weakly

"It's in my phone, please call him now!"

Time had seemed to slow down for Sam after he got the call of his life. He felt like he was on the verge of having a heart attack. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he just knew he had to get to her and as fast as possible. Burt hadn't been home so Sam had taken it upon himself to take the keys of his old pick up truck. Sam had been so shaken he had trouble putting the key in the ignition. Once he was able to get the car started he sped out of the driveway knocking over garbage cans in the process. Sam thought he was going to be arrested the way he dodged around cars and even road the shoulder a few times. Surprisingly he made it there in one piece. As fast as his feet could carry him he raced from the parking lot into Lima General Hospital. A security guard had stopped him from proceeding further.

"Hold it young man. This ain't a marathon! Where are you going so fast?"

Sam was flustered, "I need… I need to find the maternity floor. My wife's in labor," he said out of breath.

"Ok sir, I'm gonna need you to calm down. You're going to have to sign in first and then get a past."

Sam rolled his eyes out of frustration with the security guard. Quickly he jotted down all his information and snatched the badge out the administrative hand. The guard had directed him where to go but Sam had already been halfway down the hall. Sam had to back track because he had accidentally ran into the wrong room. There wasn't a word to describe the shocked looked on Sam's or the other families face as he ran in on a lady in mid birth. Trying to get the vivid image of another woman in labor out of his mind he found the correct room. Collecting himself he gently pushed open the door to the room. There Mercedes lay on her back surround by a bunch of machines. His face had paled at the sight of her.

"Sammy?" she whimpered in his direction.

Shaking his head he walked over to her and hugged her, "Hey baby… how ya feeling?" he whispered.

His worried eyes met hers, "I'm better, the medication is helping a lot. They gave me some stuff to slow down my laboring…"

"You're in labor!" he said louder than he thought, "What does that mean?" he asked looking at the nurse who was checking her vitals.

"Gloria this is Sam," Mercedes said hazily

"I'm her husband…please tell me what's going on with our babies," he pleaded

"Well since you weren't here. Mercedes was brought in because she was starting to go into early labor. Her blood pressure was extremely high, indicating that she was under a lot of stress. She said she had been feeling odd in the past few days. Chances are that she was having minor contractions without realizing it. We gave her some medication to slow down the labor in hopes that it would stop on it's on," Gloria said

"And if it doesn't," he asked fearfully

"Then we're going to have to delivery the babies early."

"Are you out of your mind! They're way too young to be born right now! Can't you like stitch her up or something so they don't come out?"

The nurse chuckled, "Unfortunately Sam that's not how it works. We have a very good NICU facility that is prepared to handle your twins' early delivery."

"What are their chances?"

"Their chances?"

"Will they be ok? What are their chances of surviving the birth this young?" he asked nervously

"Well they're 26 weeks right now so they are able to be delivered. However as long as there are no complications on theirs or their mother's part they should be able to remain in the NICU until they're at a healthy weight and more developed."

Sam couldn't stop the tears from running down his cheeks, "How long will they have to stay there?"

"At this stage they'll probably be here for at least 3 months."

Sam felt like he was going to throw up. He held onto Mercedes hand as she used her other running her fingers through his hair. Not being able to process the information he choked back a sob as Mercedes brought him to her chest. She had already done her fair share of crying before he got there, now it was his turn to feel her pain. Her mother shifted her weight uncomfortably at the sight in front of her.

Alisha cleared her throat, "How long does Mercedes have to stay here?" she asked

Sam's ear perked up at the sound of her voice, "Well I can't say for sure because the most important thing is making sure she stays pregnant," the nurse said

"Why are you here?" Sam asked flatly turning his teary eyed gaze to the corner of the room.

"She went into labor while visiting me," she lied

Sam could tell she was lying to him, "Is that so? Glad you were there when it happened…" he turned his attention to Mercedes, "Everything is going to be ok love. You and the babies are going to be fine. We're going to be fine…"

"Sam…it's ok," Mercedes replied

He gripped her hands, "I just…how did this happen? I told you coming here was going to be bad for your health! Ever since we came back here it's just been a stressful environment for you. I should have protected you better."

"Sammy you can't protect me from everything. This is my fault too. I could have brought my stress down by not allowing all these situations to get to me."

"…I'm sorry about Sugar. I should have never dated her and I should have made sure that I ended things with her before we got back together. I screwed up so badly…"

She sighed, "It's not your fault. It's mine too. Hell I'm the bigger one to blame for all of this. I shouldn't have ended things with you. We could have made our relationship work. I shouldn't have tried to hide my pregnancy from you and I should have listened to you more. I didn't foresee that my parents would hate me," she tossed a glance at her mother, "Or that Kurt was going to end up in a hospital. But the things I already knew I just made them worse by being so stubborn. Now our babies are paying for what I did…"

He smiled at her and kissed her face, "What's happening to them isn't your fault."

She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Do you forgive me? I promise I'll do a better job at being less stubborn and more understanding. These crazy hormones don't help either."

"I forgive you," he said kissing her.

Suddenly Mercedes started to feel an intense ache in her back and stomach. She sat up as the pain rolled through her immediately grabbing Sam's hand and squeezing it. Sam's facial expression was quickly replaced with fear as he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. What took his attention away from her was the sound of a very loud beeping monitor. He felt his heart racing as the nurse sped in to look over the machine and then turned her attention towards Mercedes. For some reason Sam had felt like he had gone deaf. All he saw were mouths moving and fast movement, but he couldn't hear anything.

"They're in distress…" he faintly heard someone say.

"Oh my god," he heard what sounded like Mrs. Jones crying.

Trying to get a hold of himself he brought his attention back to Mercedes. He took note that the nurse had given her an oxygen mask while the doctor had come in to check her over. Sam saw the fearful look in his wife's eyes and brought himself back to reality. His head hurt for a split second as the sound of chaos around him grew louder.

"What's going on?" he choked out

Doctor Green looked at him with a blank face, "Baby B, the boy, is showing a lot of distress…"

"What does that mean?" he asked glancing from Mercedes to the doctor.

"Well because he's in distress we're going to have to prep Mercedes for surgery-"

"YOU CAN'T!" he screamed, "They're too young."

Mercedes placed her hand on top of his, "Listen Sam, I know this sounds really extreme but this does happen more often than you think. Right now the best and safest thing for Mercedes and your babies is to deliver them. If not then everyone is at risk. So I highly suggest we do the surgery and not wait any longer because then it could be fatal."

"Sam…" Mercedes whispered

He stared at the floor fighting the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. His breath was shallow as he tried to process what was happening to them. This was not how it was supposed to happen. He and Mercedes were supposed to be on their way back to LA and enjoy the remaining months of the pregnancy. They were supposed to be turning their small apartment into a livable space for the four of them.

They weren't supposed to be here…

Sam couldn't contain his emotions anymore so he stormed out of the room, much to Mercedes pleading cries. He didn't want her to see him fall apart. He had already cried once so far, he didn't want to completely breakdown in front of her. Sam had to be strong for her and for their precious babies. _'My babies…'_ his mind jogged. Then his brain processed the other piece of information. His son was in distress. Sam's hand immediately flew up to his mouth to silence his anguish as he slid down the wall. What was going to happen to their little boy? He felt his chest tighten at the thought of losing him. Sam didn't know what he would do if the baby didn't survive the birth. "At least we'll have our daughter…FUCK! I can't think that like that…" he told himself. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see Mrs. Jones staring at him with wide eyes. As much as he wanted to crush the woman out he let her comfort him.

"It's going to be ok Sam," she said brushing his hair from his face, "These things happen. But right now you need to pull it together for Mercedes sake."

He looked at her, "Why is this happening? We're good people…we don't deserve this…our babies don't deserve this."

Alisha bit her lip, "Sam…I don't know why truthfully this is happening. I do know that I have some blame for adding stress to Mercedes life…" her voice wandered

"Why didn't you accept us? Why did you have to push her away above everything?" he felt his anger take over, "Do you know how hard it was for me to try and make her feel secure? To make her feel like she still had a family? There is only so much me, our friends and my parents could do. We aren't you and Mr. Jones."

"I know… I just…she's my baby girl and I just wanted to see her succeed in life."

"So you thought she failed? Granted getting pregnant out of wedlock isn't something to be proud of but at least she wasn't alone! I didn't leave her; I love her and have been by her side since. My parents may have been angry with us but they would never abandon us!"

"Sam, I don't have to explain myself to you. Her father and I had our reasons."

Sam looked at her, "You know what? You don't have to explain yourself to me. But you better damn well explain yourself to her! You're her mother! I couldn't even imagine this situation taking place with our daughter. It's one of the reasons I know Mercedes will be a wonderful mother. She loves with all her heart."

"Are you trying to say I don't love my daughter?" Alisha asked angrily

"I'm not saying anything but actions speak louder than words."

With that Sam got up and walked back into the room to be with Mercedes. She was in the middle of a conversation with the Dr. Green and the nurses who were preparing her about the surgery. As soon as her eyes caught Sam's he immediately placed himself by her side again.

"I'm sorry…I needed a minute," he whispered to her

"It's ok…they're about to explain what's going to happen after the surgery."

"Are you ok?" Dr. Green asked

Sam swallowed hard, "Yeah… I am, go on."

"Well once they're out they will be checked for how responsive they are. Our biggest goal is making sure that their lungs are open so they can breathe. Once that's established they will be placed in incubators for warmth and sent directly to the NICU to be cared for."

"So…we don't get to hold them at all?" Sam asked his throat dry.

"I'm afraid not at this point in time. Once they are stabilized and everything looks good then you'll be allowed to come in and touch them in the incubator. When they get a little bit stronger then you can hold them."

"Preemies need a lot of soft touches, it's part of their healing process. I'll cover more on what to do with them after the surgery. But any type of contact and participation from both parents is very vital to their recovery," Gloria added

Mercedes had been taking in all the information, "Then what's the negative outcome?" she asked glancing at Sam.

Dr. Green shifted, "Well… the worse thing obviously is death. I'm not going to lie that there is a chance, but it isn't as high as let's say you were 24 weeks. Their survival rate is greater. However since Baby B-"

"Isaiah… my sons name is Isaiah," Sam corrected

"…Isaiah, is in distress we will have to monitor him carefully the most. It also doesn't help that the both of them are smaller than babies at 26 weeks, but again that's not uncommon for a multiple pregnancy…" he paused for a moment looking Sam in the eyes, "Just prepare yourselves for the worse. If something goes wrong you may lose your son. Sad to say but if that happens at least you will still have one healthy baby."

"Mercedes…" Nurse Gloria said gently, "We're going to give you some medication that's going to help their lungs open up before the surgery."

"Ok…" was all Mercedes could say

"We'll leave you two to talk and we'll be back with the medication."

"Thank you…" Sam said

They both watched Dr. Green and Gloria leave the room. As soon as they were alone Mercedes cries broke their silence. Sam carefully sat on the bed and held her in his arms. "It's going to be ok…" he repeatedly kept whispering to her to silence her cries. Mrs. Jones stood watching them from the room window trying to keep herself together. She glanced down at her cell in her hands debating on whether or not to call Gary. Guilt was coursing through her veins after the doctor had told her what the outcome was. She silently said a prayer for Mercedes, Sam and her grandchildren. Without realizing it she had already hit the call button her phone.

"Hello? Alisha… is that you? Say something," she heard Gary's voice call.

She placed the phone slowly to her ear, "Gary…" she whispered

"What's wrong? Are you ok? You sound upset…"

"Gary…something terrible has happened…"

"Are you hurt! Tell me where you are"

"I'm at the hospital…I'm fine…but our daughter isn't…"

Click…

* * *

**This was intense to write. I hope no one had to break out tissues...I apologize if you did.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The next 24 hours had been excruciating for Mercedes. While she laid there uncomfortable from the pain Sam had took the time to quickly called Kurt to tell him what had happened. Her contractions had started to increase more as the night went on. At this point all she wanted was for this to be over with and to give birth to their babies. She was informed by the nurse that she couldn't have anything for the pain before the surgery. The nurses had instructed her and Sam to take a small walk around the maternity ward to ease up some of the pain. She had used her IV pole as a walking stick while Sam had secured his arm around her waist. Together they slowly strolled around until they ended up in near the nursery. In these small hours Sam had a lot of time to reflect. The last thing that was needed between them was negativity.

"Hey it's ok…" he said calmly, "Our babies are going to be fine."

"I wish our babies would be in here instead of…"

Sam pulled her into him, "I know…but we have to think positive. Despite what the doctor said we're going to be ok. They've got you and me as parents, so I know they're little fighters."

She gently placed her hand on the glass staring at the sleeping children in the nursery. Her eyes scanned the room looking from each child's face. She felt Sam kiss her cheek as a tear rolled down it. He gripped her shoulders assuring her that everything was going to be ok.

"I love you," she whispered

"I love you too," he replied.

* * *

The surgery had gone smoothly. Sam had stayed by her side up until Aurora was pulled out first. He couldn't resist the urge to glance at his daughter. _'She's so tiny…'_ he thought bringing his attention back to Mercedes. She stared up at him, her brown eyes absorbing his green ones. Dr. Green was now focused on getting Isaiah out. Mercedes had gripped Sam's hand wishing she could see what was going on. When Isaiah was born he was immediately attended too by the nurses. Sam felt panic rise in his chest at the thought of something being wrong.

"Happy birthday Isaiah and Aurora!" one of the nurses cheered.

"They're ok?" Mercedes asked with tears in her eyes.

Sam looked off in the direction of the nurses, "I think so love…"

"Sam, Mercedes looks like you have two healthy babies. Aurora is exactly two pounds and Isaiah is a pound and eight ounces," Dr. Green announced

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as he was overcome with tears, "You did it!" he exclaimed kissing Mercedes, "You did it babe."

"Our babies are ok. Oh my god… I did….they're here," she was bewildered.

"Ok Mercedes, we're going to stitch you up and then take you to recovery," a nurse said

"Go tell everyone," Mercedes said

"No, I want to stay with you…" he whined

She smiled, "It's ok, go tell everyone everything's ok. They must be really worried."

Sam emerged from the swinging doors pulling off his surgical cap. Everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting to hear from him. He gave them a lopsided smile and held his thumbs up. A huge sigh could be heard amongst everyone as they got up to rush over to him.

"They're ok?" his mother asked

"They're fine…they're perfect. Isaiah's one pound eight ounces and Aurora is two pounds," he said with a hint of surreal to his voice.

"Oh my," Kurt gasped as he sniffled, "How's Mercedes doing?"

Sam smiled, "She's doing well. They're about to put her in recovery right now," he said pulling out his phone, "I snapped a really quick picture of them before the nurses took them to the NICU. Wanna see?"

Quinn smiled at him, "Aw they're so cute and so tiny!" she squealed

"Yeah… they're a little small but they're gonna put on weight really fast," he told

"You were so fat as a baby…"Dwight trailed on, "It's like there was nothing you wouldn't eat. You even went through a phase where all you ate were cool ranch Doritos…"

Everyone laughed, "Sam they're so adorable!" Blaine shrieked, "When can we see them?"

Sam frowned for a second, "Not for a bit. Maybe in a few days once they've adjusted to being in an incubator…"

Burt patted Sam's back, "Aw that's ok. I bet you're anxious to get them in your arms, I know I would be."

"Actually… this is really funny. They're so small that they can almost fit in my hand," he chuckled nervously, "It's really cute. I can't wait for Cedes and I to actually get to hold them, feed them and such. It's just so surreal ya know… I'm a dad!"

"Looks like you'll be taking over the role as Poppa Evans," his dad said

"Nah you can keep it Pa. I'll have to think of a cooler title for myself, since I'm young and hip," he joked, "Well I wanted to tell you guys the good news myself. I'm going to go back and check on Mercedes. I'll be back out later. You guys can go home if you want. I'll text if anything interesting happens."

Sam waved off to his family and friends. He had noticed that the Jones's were nowhere in sight. Shrugging off the thought he walked back through the doors and headed for the recovery room. When he found Mercedes room his gently knocked on the door before pushing it open. She was in a peaceful sleep lightly snoring. He chuckled to himself as he made his way to her bedside, slipping his hand into hers. The touch of his hand caused her to stir a bit. She rolled her head from side to side until her eyes slowly opened. Mercedes had a brief moment where she didn't know where she was until the pain of her stitches reminded her. She groaned as she tried to sit up.

"Be careful baby, you don't want to break open your stitches," Sam said

"Hmmm…" she moaned

"What's the matter? Are you thirsty? Do want me to get you something to drink?"

She shook her head slowly as Sam kissed her before getting up and disappearing out the door. Letting her eyes adjust more to the room she looked down on herself. Her stomach was still swollen as if she was still pregnant. She gently rubbed it as the room door opened again. Sam looked at her curiously before approaching her with a cup. He placed the straw to her lips as she inhaled the cool liquid.

"Good?" he asked

"I feel better," she said weakly, "How are they?"

Sam's face lit up, "They're really good Cedes. They're beautiful."

Her face softened, "I wish I could've seen them…"

He pulled out his phone, "I took a picture do you want to see?"

She nodded as he turned on his phone. She let out a soft gasp, "They're so small Sammy…" she whispered tears springing to her eyes.

"Hey, hey it's ok. They're ok. They're munchkins but they're gonna grow into super babies," he said sweetly

"They're really ok?" she asked

"They are"

"They're really here?" she asked brightly

"They're really here."

"I love you Sammy"

"I love you too"

He brushed his hand against her face and kissed her lips softly. He made sure not to put all his weight on her. When their kiss ended she ran her fingers through his hair. All he could do is smile at her.

"I'm so proud of you Cedes," he said staring at her.

"I'm proud of me too. Did you talk to anyone?"

"Oh yeah! I told everyone how well you three were doing. They were all excited and overjoyed," he smiled

"How were my parents?"

Sam bit his lip, "Um… I'm not sure. There was so much commotion I didn't get a chance to talk to them," he lied

She pursed her lips, "They weren't there were they?"

He hung his head, "No baby…I'm sorry"

"Don't be…I've got more important things to worry about now that need all my time. It's their loss," she stated

A knock at the door interrupted them. Sam turned his head slowly curious to who was entering. Mercedes had expected it to be a nurse until the knocker was revealed. Her mother stood in the doorway holding a vase of flowers in her hand. Sam's curious expression turned to anger as he focused on Mrs. Jones. When she stepped in so did Mr. Jones. Mercedes let out a soft gasp and gripped Sam's hand.

"What…" she started

"We wanted to see you and congratulate the both of you," Alisha said softly avoiding Sam's burning gaze.

"Why are you here now?"

Her mother sighed walking over and placing the vase on her nightstand, "We're sorry…the both of us…"

"Sam would you mind stepping out of the room for a moment," Gary said sternly

Mercedes stared at her father, "No… he doesn't get to leave. Whatever you have to say to me you better say with him here. The last time I was alone with any of you I ended up here," she said bitterly

"Fair enough," her mother replied

Gary sucked in his breath, "I know I was hard on you…and maybe a little extreme-"

"EXTREME?" Mercedes yelled wincing at her stitches, "You kicked me out of your home and disowned me. I was scared and pregnant and you would think the two people in the world who could make me feel better made me feel worse!"

"We never meant to hurt you"

Sam chortled, "Do you not realize the damage you did," he said

"Young man, I'm her father and the last thing I wanted for my daughter was to lead a hectic life. No parent wants to see that!"

"No offense sir or anything but I'm a father now too! To a very beautiful tiny little girl. That same little girl that all this anger and frustration helped brought her and my son into this world early. I would never do any of this to her. Even if she had murdered someone I would still be understanding because I love my daughter that much. Children aren't flawless, I know I have flaws and my parents saw them. So no, I can't sympathize or rationalize you behavior."

Gary gritted his teeth, "Daddy… if you came here to argue with Sam and I then please leave. You've caused enough pain to last me for a lifetime. I can't take nor do I want anymore."

"No," Sam said as everyone looked at him, "Please don't leave. Look… I know you're angry with us but please don't walk out of Mercedes life. You can hate me all you want and think the worse of me, but please don't hate her. Please don't hate our children. They didn't do anything to deserve this. Hell they didn't even ask to be brought into this world, but they are. If you can't love and accept me or us, then please just love and accept my kids for their sake," he pleaded

"Sam… we didn't come here to argue with you. Despite my husbands extremely rude stubborn behavior," Alisha said glaring at Gary, "We just wanted to say how sorry we are and that we love you; all of you. My pride may have gotten the best of me but my pride has also caused me to waste too many years with my daughter. Mercedes I know I wasn't the best I could have been and wasn't nearly as supportive as I should have been of your dreams. I know it'll take time to get things back the way they used to be but I want to start over fresh."

"We want to be apart of our grandchildren's lives," Gary added

Tears were welling up in Mercedes eyes, "Really?"

"Really sweetheart. We honestly do. Our first start is for you and Sam to stay with us while you and the babies recover. I can't promise it won't be chaotic, but I'd rather know you're both safe under our roof."

Gary leaned into hug his daughter. All Mercedes could do at this point was cry out of happiness. Sam smiled at the sight before him. He knew her parents were going to come around at some point, although he had hoped that it didn't have to be under these circumstances. Surprisingly Gary had embraced him into a hug.

"You're a good man Sam," he whispered

Sam bit his lip as he tightened his grip around Mr. Jones. Mrs. Jones grabbed his cheeks with a smile before giving him a hug. Sam fought the urge to cry at their sudden affection towards him. Gently pulling away she stared at him.

"How are they?"

"They're small as to be expected. Aurora's two pounds and Isaiah's one pound eight ounces. Both of them are super healthy despite everything."

Alisha gasped feeling her eyes grow wet, "That's so tiny…oh my god… Sam…" she cried

Gary rubbed his wife's back, "They're ok dear."

"I know it's just… this is my fault… I shouldn't have yelled at you Mercedes. I'm so sorry…"

"Mama it's ok. It wasn't you. I was just under a lot of stress," Mercedes said

"I didn't help…"

"It's in the past now," Sam said

"When can we see them?" she asked

"Family members can't see them until a few days. It sucks so much but those are the rules," he shrugged

"Well we'll give you some time to yourselves. We'll be back tomorrow ok?" Gary said

"Sure, thank you"

"We love you sweetheart," Alisha said giving her daughter a kiss.

Once they left the room Sam exhaled loudly. He looked over at Mercedes with a huge smile. She returned it stretching her arms out for him. Without hesitation he carefully gathered her into his and kissed her passionately. A loud throat clearing startled the couple.

"We need to stop meeting like this," Kurt announced, "Hey new Mama! I've got a surprise for you!"

"Aw Kurt," she laughed

"We're sorry, we were waiting patiently until we could come in but we thought we'd gave you and your parents some alone time first," Quinn said slipping in through the door.

Mercedes eyes lit up, "Quinn! When, how did you get here?" she asked stunned.

Quinn strolled towards her with balloons, "Well Kurt sent out a mass text to everyone after Sam had called him and told him what happened. There was no way I was going to miss this! You were there for me when I had Beth so I wanted to be there for you. So damn my exam I drove here all night just to be here," she explained hugging Mercedes.

"Wow… I can't believe you'd drive all this way. It must have been so long."

"Eh not really. I was driving on pure adrenaline to be honest…ok and some Starbucks."

The door creaked open again, "Hey Papa Trout!" Santana teased as she and Brittany stood at the door with flowers and two teddy bears.

"Holy hell, Santana?" Sam exclaimed hugging her.

"I got here a little late but luckily Brittany was still here and filled me in."

"We got you guys' teddy bears," Brittany said handing them to Sam.

"So Trouty did the kids inherit your mouth?" Santana asked

Sam laughed, "It's a little too soon to tell."

"I bet they're just as beautiful as their mother. I've missed you girl! How is LA?"

"It's LA, I've been enjoying it for the most part," Mercedes responded

Sam and Mercedes had visited throughout the rest of the day. Kurt had taken up permanent residence in her room to make sure he didn't miss anything. Quinn had volunteered to make food runs for Sam who had already been sick of eating the bland hospital food. He even shared some of it with Mercedes, even though she really wasn't supposed to be having it.

* * *

"Are you sure you're up to visiting them?" he asked

Mercedes sat up in her bed, "Yeah it's ok. Don't worry I'm not going to break open my stitches or anything. I'm good," she said

"Ok, let me go find a wheelchair for you"

He nodded and kissed her before heading off to retrieve a wheelchair. When he came back he helped her into the chair making sure she was comfortable. He started to push her in the direction of the NICU center. At first he felt like he was walking endlessly until he found himself at the nurse's station. He waited patiently for the nurse to finish typing what she had before acknowledging them.

"How may I help you?" she asked

He ran his hands through his hair, "Um…We're here to see our twins," he stammered

"Name?"

"Samuel Evans," he said

She chuckled, "The babies' names," she asked

"Oh! Isaiah and Aurora Evans," he said apologetically as he blushed.

She got up from behind her station with a chart in her hand. Sam followed her down the hall to a room. The room had looked like a little daycare as oppose to the sterile environment that he was used to seeing. The nurse had instructed them to wash their hands first before putting on a caps and gowns. Sam helped Mercedes clean off her hands. The nurse then had explained to him about their immune system and why they had to wear what they were wearing. Once he got himself situated she directed him to another room. Sam froze immediately as he entered through the doors. Mercedes let out a breath of air. The sigh of the little incubators was terrifying for them. He looked around the room slowly, taking note of other parents in there with their children.

"This way Mr. Evans," the nurse said

Sam followed pushing Mercedes until the nurse brought them over to two incubators. He held his breath before he looked down. Sam's eyes were fixed on his two tiny children. He felt his heart tinge at how helpless they looked hooked up to the machines. A small smile crept on his face when he noticed the heart stickers placed over the tubing on their body. Mercedes couldn't contain her tears. Her maternal instincts were starting to kick in and all she wanted to do was swaddle her children close to her.

"They have hair…" he said amazed at their wispy light brown hair.

"Most babies have a lot of hair when they're born," Mercedes responded

"I was so bald when I was a baby…"

She smiled, "Well then you can look forward to styling all that hair."

"Yeah," he chuckled

"So Mr. Evans-" he cut the nurse off.

"Please just call me Sam. Mr. Evans is my father," he said

"Sam, you are going to put your hands through these holes here. From there you can touch them. Be careful as to not get caught up in the wires. The best way to touch them is to soft but firmly place your hands on their head and legs. Try not to do a lot of sudden motion with them," she instructed showing him how to touch them.

"That's it?" he asked

"That's it. If you need anything just press the call button over here and I'll come back."

"Do they know we're here?" Mercedes asked

"Yes. They're just sleeping; it's something you'll notice that they will do a lot until they start to develop more."

"Oh…"

Sam pursed his lips, "Do they know we're their parents?"

"They should to a degree. They probably will be more familiar with Mercedes since they were growing inside of her. You'll just have to bond with them more to get the same attachment."

Once she was out of his sight Sam brought his gaze back to the incubators. All of a sudden a rush of fear took over him. He was afraid to touch them; afraid that he would hurt them. He heard someone softly speak.

"It's not that bad," the voice said

Sam turned around, "Huh?"

The older man looked at him, "It's not that bad. I know they look really fragile but it's not that bad."

"Oh…" he said, "I've just never seen small babies… I'm just afraid I might hurt them," he confessed

"You won't. I was the same way when my daughter was born. I was scared out of my mind! But I quickly got over it. How old are you?"

"17 sir"

"Pretty young. Sorry you have to be going through this at your age."

Sam shrugged, "There's never an appropriate age for this sort of thing."

"When were they born?"

"A few days ago. They're only 26 about 27 weeks."

"I see… well congrats! Just remember be calm and know you're not going to hurt them."

Sam nodded at the man before turning back to his children. Mercedes stared at Isaiah's incubator with fearful wide eyes. He could sense that she was having conflict about touching her son. Sam wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up until she could balance on her on. She winced at the pressure of her weight on her stomach but ignored it. Slowly she stuck her hands through the holes and placed them on Isaiah. When Sam got her situated he held his breath as he looked at Aurora. He gently slid his hand into the hole and placed his hand on her head. He instantly felt his heart melt as soon as contact was made. Although she wasn't moving much he could feel her breathing stabilize from his touch. He then took his other hand and placed it on her legs. He stared lovingly at the bundled up baby wishing he could scope her up and hold her.

"See…I knew I named you right. You have such an aura about you," he whispered, "I'm so glad you're here. Mommy's glad too. We love you so much. We can wait until you and your brother get better so we can take you back home to LA. You're gonna love it there. There's so much stuff to see and do that your minds going to be blown."

10 minutes had gone by before Sam had pulled his hands out of Aurora's incubator. He looked at Mercedes who was still softly whispering to their son. "Want to switch?" he asked as she nodded. Walking around the incubator he helped her over to Aurora. He turned his attention to his son. Isaiah was a lot smaller than his sister. The little boy had just as much hair as she did though. Not wanting to waste anymore time he stuck his hands in the incubator and felt his son. Sam felt this connection from Isaiah that made him want to cry. As the little boy slept he just admired him.

"Hey son…" Sam started, "I'm your dad. Like I was telling your sister mommy and I love you so much munchkin. I know you're really small now but that's not going to last long. I can't wait until you're big and strong so I can hold you in my arms and teach you how to play video games. You're going to love them! I'll even read comic books to you and your sister at night, even if mommy says no, it'll be our secret. Please get better and stay strong Izzy," he whispered

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

Mercedes and Sam had gotten themselves situated at the Jones's residence. It was a different than being at Kurt's, but Mercedes was thankful because unfortunately Kurt had to head back to New York to catch up on his classes. Even though he wasn't here Blaine was still keeping tabs on them. Her mother took some time off from the hospital to spend time with them. Sam was grateful to the home cooked meals Mrs. Jones would make them every night. He knew it was her mother's way of making up for lost time.

When Sam was nowhere to be found in the morning Mercedes had gotten worried until she saw a note taped on bedroom door.

_Cedes,_

_Sorry to dash out so soon. I had trouble sleeping so I went to the hospital to visit the babies. Hope you aren't mad… I wanted to try something with them so I'm being selfish at the moment. See you at the hospital later._

_Love, Sammy_

Mercedes curiosity was peaked after reading his note. She had figured that he had taken her car so that left her with getting a ride from her mother. Mrs. Jones didn't hesitate to grant her daughter's request. She quickly got dressed and headed over to the Lima General.

As usual when she got to the NICU center she was greeted by the nurses. She and Sam had quickly become familiar faces with the staff there. Making her way to the incubator room she was caught off guard by some of the younger staff and candy stripers peaking in the room. Once again her curiosity was peaked as she looked to see what all the commotion was about. There Sam sat in all his glory shirtless snuggling their two small children on his muscular chest. He seemed to be unaffected by the attention he had caused. She laughed to herself excusing her way into the room.

"Hey there…" she said

Sam looked up at her, "Hey beautiful. Did you get my note?"

"Yes I did…Sam why are you naked?" she asked eyeing him

He laughed, "I'm not really naked, just shirtless. I told you in the note I wanted to try something with them," he said bringing his attention back to the babies.

"And nudity helps them how?"

"Well… the nurses told me about this thing called the Kangaroo Method or skin touch something. It's what I was doing in my alone time with Izzy…Pretty much either you or I hold them to our chest for bonding. They are supposed to bond and develop more feelings towards you through skin contact. And well between the two of us I have the least bit of attachment to them," he said sadly, "So I said to myself 'Sam, you've got to find a way to bond with your kids', so I asked, they told and I took my shirt off. Granted I really didn't have too but ya know… skin to skin, figured as much of my skin they could get their little hands on would help. I also figured that it worked so well with Izzy before that I wanted to share the love," he grinned sheepishly.

"That's so cute…aw Sammy…"

"Can you take a picture?" he asked

She smiled pulling out her phone and snapping a picture of them. Sam's face was beaming as he huddled Aurora and Isaiah close to him for the photo. Once she was done he quickly gave them kisses. He couldn't contain his smile while staring at them.

"You know you have an audience right?" she said motioning towards the window.

He turned his head and smiled at them, "I really hadn't noticed. I was so caught up in these two. They're so cute it's sickening!"

"You're so cute it's sickening," she mocked, "Can I hold my baby boy?"

Sam pouted, "But this is my Kangaroo time…"

"Aw…."

"Ok, ok, I won't be stingy," he said shifting his weight so she could retrieve Isaiah from him, "That just means I get my girl munchkin to myself," he cooed at the baby.

Mercedes made herself comfortable cuddling Isaiah to her chest, "So how long have you been here?" she asked

Sam thought for a second, "A few hours, maybe 3? I lost track of time. They were sleeping when I got here but I got to change their diaper!" he beamed, "It was awesome…ok poop is never awesome but…anyways, after that I took my shirt off and have been holding them ever since. Actually I think it's about time to feed them."

"Should I go call for the nurse?"

He shook his head, "No… the nurses showed me how to feed them myself so I don't have to keep badgering them. They tease me enough saying that I should setup a cot in here…" he sighed, "If only… you take Aura and I'll go get their bottles, ok?"

She nodded as Sam gently laid their daughter on her chest. Mercedes couldn't help by smile wildly to herself as she held them near. When Sam returned he had two syringe looking bottles in his hand. He handed one to her and this time took Isaiah from her to feed him. Just then one of the nurses walked in and blushed at him.

"Oh my…Mr. Evans…Kangarooing again are we?" she blushed

"Yep, I was telling Mercedes about my awesome bonding skills," he spoke

"That's nice. I was coming to let you know it was feeding time but I see you already took care of it."

"I'm a good listener," he smiled

"That's great! You guys are doing so well with them. Oh! Also little Isaiah is up to two pounds as of today," she said reading from her chart.

Sam's face lit up, "Did you hear that Izzy you're two pounds!"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Time had seemed to go by for the Evans's family. Before they knew it Christmas was around the corner. Under normal circumstances Mercedes and Sam would have been back in LA celebrating the holidays with Puck. Instead they were here with the Jones's while their children still remained hospitalized. Sam had noticed that Mercedes had gotten quieter as it neared Christmas. She had been helping her mother decorate the tree by sorting through the decoration boxes.

"Hey, need a hand?" he asked extending his hand.

She looked up at him sadly, "I've got it. Thank you."

He crouched down to her level, "What's the matter love? Talk to me"

Mercedes bit her lip, "It's just… it's Christmas and our babies are in the hospital. They aren't spending it with us," she frowned

"Aw sweetheart…" he sighed, "Do you want to go see them? Will that make you feel better?"

"No! I just want them home with us," she cried dropping some decorations in the box.

"I wish there was something I could do."

"Turn back time?" she asked looking into his eyes, "Go back to before Kurt was shot and force me to stay in LA. Then we wouldn't be here and I'd still be pregnant."

Sam placed his hands under her chin, "Hey… look at me. You know if I could I would but I can't. We can't do what's already done. All we have to do is accept was is now and just move on from it. Things happen for a reason..."

Sam's mind had started to wander for a moment as his memory was recalling one of the most upsetting things he and Mercedes had to deal with their twins. He sucked in his breath as he remembered how torn he was thinking he would lose his son. In just a small window of time his baby boy had went from good to bad in just a few short days.

_"Sam you have to understand that his chances are very low. Unlike his sister he is struggling to breathe and doesn't respond well to ventilation," Dr. Green spoke_

_Sam looked from him to the incubator, "I don't care if his chances are low it still means he has a chance! Please, is there anything else you can do? I don't want my baby boy to die," he cried_

_"There really isn't much. His lungs weren't fully developed enough to open. All we can do is take him off ventilation and see if he starts breathing on his own."_

_"And if he doesn't?"_

_"Then he will die. I'm really sorry Sam…"_

_ Sam stood there with his green eyes going wild as he fought back his tears. He had asked to speak with the doctor privately because he didn't want anymore bad news upsetting Mercedes. She had been a nervous wreck since they found out that Isaiah wasn't thriving like he was supposed to. The sudden decline in his health came as a shock to the both of them. Now here he stood in the NICU unit being told he had to make a life or death decision about his son._

_"Don't be…can I… can I hold him without the tubes?"_

_"Are you sure-" Nurse Abrams had asked_

_"Damnit! If my son dies I'd rather him die in my arms close to my heart instead of alone and isolated in this thing."_

_She studied his face, "Fine… would you mind taking your shirt off?"_

_"What?" he said eyeing her_

_"With certain preemies we practice this method called skin to skin touch healing or Kangarooing. The point is to place the baby on usually the mother's bare chest so that the baby can try to heal itself from a physical touch. It doesn't always work though."_

_Sam stared at Isaiah, "I'll try anything…"_

_ Sam undid his gown and gently pulled his t-shirt off. The nurse had to turn around to hide her blushing from the sight of his muscular build. He sat down in a chair with his hands folded. His greens stared at Isaiah wildly. Ms. Abrams walked over and started to unhook him from the machines. For a split second there was a loud beep on the heart monitor that caused Sam's own heart to stop for a second. The tiny baby barely moved as she gently picked him up and held him over to Sam. This was the first time Sam ever got to hold him. He was bewildered at the size of the little boy, taking in his appearance. Isaiah kept his eyes shut tightly and barely looked like a baby at all. He was still hooked up to ventilation machine, the tube sticking out of his small mouth. Sam bit his lip to fight the tears threatening to spill. He had to stay strong for his son, even if it meant hiding his own pain. _

_"Ok Sam, what you're going to do is place him gently on your chest close to your heart. I'll cover you both with a blanket so you stay warm."_

_"That's it?" he asked not taking his eyes off Isaiah._

_"That's it. Once I remove the tube it'll be up to god to decide."_

_ Nodding at her words Sam carefully placed Isaiah to his chest holding him close. He was afraid to hold him too tightly for the fear of hurting the weak little boy. Ms. Abrams moved around them as she started to take him off the ventilator. Sam used his other hand to carefully hold the little boy's head. An alarming sound had caught his attention. It sounded like the baby was gagging. He paled looking up at the nurse who was looking back at him with wide eyes._

_"He's going to do that for a bit until he can catch his breath or…"_

_ She didn't finish her sentence as she draped them both in a blanket and quietly left the room. As small as he was Sam could feel Isaiah's little heart beat against his own. Sam tried hard to block out the gasping sound that he was now making. He closed his eyes and rocked them back and forth._

_"Did you know that Daddy could sing?" he asked, "Well, if it makes you feel better I'll sing to you."_

_People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one,  
And we've only just begun.  
Think I'm gonna have a son.  
He will be like she and me, as free as a dove,  
Conceived in love.  
Sun is gonna shine above._

_And even though we ain't got money,  
I'm so in love with you, honey,  
And everything will bring a chain of love.  
And in the morning, when I rise,  
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes  
And tell me everything is gonna be alright._

_Seems as though, a month ago, I was Beta-Chi,  
Never got high.  
Oh, I was a sorry guy.  
And now, I smile and face the girl that shares my name.  
Now I'm through with the game.  
This boy will never be the same._

_ Mercedes stood at the window of the NICU watching Sam interact with Isaiah. It was hard on her to have to watch them, even harder to not force herself to go in and be with them. She understood that this was a father and son moment and that this was something only Sam could do. So with a heavy heart she stood watching the man she loved and their little boy._

_And even though we ain't got money,  
I'm so in love with you, honey,  
And everything will bring a chain of love.  
And in the morning, when I rise,  
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes  
And tell me everything is gonna be alright._

_Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign,  
Strong and kind,  
And the little boy is mine.  
Now I see a family where the once was none.  
Now we've just begun.  
Yeah, we're gonna fly to the sun._

_And even though we ain't got money,  
I'm so in love with you, honey,  
And everything will bring a chain of love.  
And in the morning, when I rise,  
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes  
And tell me everything is gonna be alright._

_ Sam continued to stroke his son's fuzzy head. The little gasps of air had finally started to subside. Panic and fear were rising in him but he still continued to sing, kissing his head. A few drops of tears landing on his chest and the blanket. He gently pulled the blanket closer to Isaiah feeling his small body starting to cool down. Sam was convinced he was hanging on barely and was just fading in and out for the time being. _

_Love the girl who holds the world in a paper cup.  
Drink it up.  
Love her and she'll bring you luck.  
And if you find she helps your mind, better take her home.  
Don't you live alone  
Try to earn what lovers own._

_And even though we ain't got money,  
I'm so in love with you, honey,  
And everything will bring a chain of love.  
And in the morning, when I rise,  
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes  
And tell me everything is gonna be alright._

_"If you're in pain baby boy then go to God. Mommy and daddy won't be angry with you. You've had a very long and hard fight and we won't fault you for being tired. Just know that we love you so much," Sam couldn't contain his tears anymore, "We will always love you and your sister will always know you. I'm so happy to have met you and gotten this chance to spend with you. You give me so much strength and I thank you for it. But please don't struggle if you don't have too, it's ok…"_

Mercedes noticed that Sam had a distant look in his eye. She could sense that he was thinking of something painful when his eyes started to glass over. Wanting to break him from any painful memories she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You're right…" she said

"Huh?" he said bringing his thoughts back to the present.

"I said you're-"

Before they could finish their conversation the doorbell had started ringing. Mrs. Jones had gone to answer the door. To a very much surprised Sam and Mercedes, Sugar had stepped inside looking at the both of them. She stood their nervously clutching a large bag in her hands.

"Get out!" Sam yelled

Mrs., Jones was taken back by his outburst, "Samuel! That's not how you treat guest."

"She ain't no guest mother," Mercedes spat, "Why are you in my house?"

Sugar's eyes fell onto the floor, "I…um… I wanted to bring you a gift for the babies… I just found out what was going on with you and I'm so sorry…"

"I don't want your charity. Now please excuse yourself and leave," she said standing up.

"Wait! Please don't kick me out. I don't mean any harm. I just want to apologize to you and Sam," she said trying to make eye contact with him but he looked away, "What I did was wrong and I don't expect either of you to forgive me. But like I just want to make things right and be the better person for once," she said setting down the bag.

Sam eyed it, "What's in it?" he asked now standing next to Mercedes.

"It's um…well it's a blank scrapbook. I kind of went all out and got really cute papers, stickers, jewels and such. I hope you guys like it and use it to mark all the special things that happen in your babies' lives."

Sam didn't know what to say to her, "So you think you can just ring my doorbell and give us a bogus gift to make up for not only verbally assaulting me but trying to pay me off?" Mercedes snapped arching her eyebrow.

Now Sam's mood was back to being livid, "YOU DID WHAT!" he screamed as Sugar backed up.

"Ok…so maybe I over stepped my boundaries-"

"What money?" he asked angrily

"It was just a really random-"

"What fucking money is Mercedes talking about!"

"I…uh… I tried to get her to leave you and go back to LA by paying her off…" Sugar whispered avoiding eye contact.

Sam marched up to her and snatched the bag from her hand and threw it on the ground. He glared down at the tiny girl, "So you think you can buy me is that? Sam Evans's once a whore always a whore? It's just that simple huh? What's a little cash in exchange for my body!" he screamed, "How dare you insult not only me but Mercedes. What was my asking price Sugar? How much were you willing to pay for this?" he asked motioning his hands up and down his body, "How much money were you offering to make the love of my life disappear so you could have me all to yourself?"

Sugar was in tears as Sam peered closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face, "Six grand…"

Sam laughed, "Ha! Did you hear that Mercedes? I'm worth six grand," he said turning around to gaze at her. Mercedes bit her lip and looked at him worriedly, "So six grand…Tell me Sugar what exactly did you expect was going to happen for six grand?"

"Um…." She stuttered, "I figured it'd be enough for her to…to…make her and those babies disappear… they were holding… holding you back…"

"Get out…" he growled

"Look Sam I'm really sorry! I don't know what I was thinking that's why I wanted to make a peace offering…"

"NO! Get out! You don't get to buy me or my family's forgiveness. Take your sorry ass excuse and your sorry ass out of this house now! If I ever see you again or if you ever come near my family or even utter their names out of your mouth I will do more than share a few choice words with you."

Without hesitation Sugar turned on her heels and quickly left the Jones's residence. Once she was gone Mercedes brought her focus back to Sam. He stood with his back facing her, fist clenched so tight she thought his hands would start bleeding. When he didn't turn around she tried calling his name.

"Sam…" she received no response, "Sam please look at me."

"I can't…I can't face you Mercedes."

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his back, "Baby it's ok. Please look at me."

Sam could feel the tears starting to roll down his cheeks, "No… I can't believe it… six grand…" he whispered

"She's a bitch and a spoiled bitch."

"Did you want the money?" he asked quietly

"What? Why would you ask that?"

"Answer me Mercedes. Did you want to take the money?"

"No Sammy, I would never take money from her."

"That's not what I'm asking. If someone had paid you well enough would you take it and leave me alone?" he asked his voice trembling.

"Sam…there isn't a price anyone could pay me to stop loving you."

He turned around slowly biting his lip, "I feel so dirty…"

She closed the gap between them and placed her hands on his face, "Why? You did nothing wrong."

He averted his eyes, "It's like when I was stripping. My body had a price tag. There wasn't a price you couldn't offer to have me. I'm more than that. I'm more than my body."

"Baby…don't think like that. You are more than everything combined. You're the sweetest, most loving, funniest caring man I've ever met. You're also the world's greatest dad."

"But that doesn't erase that she tried to buy me. She tried to buy me from you Mercedes! Like I was up for grabs at an auction!" he stepped away from her to look out the window as the snow started to fall, "I hate my body so much… sometimes I wish I didn't look the way I did. Then people wouldn't think they could get away with doing or saying whatever they want to me. I'm so disgusting," he cried

Mercedes frowned, "Don't talk like that. You're not disgusting and I for one love your body. Besides don't talk about the way you look, our kids are fifty percent you. So if you hate the way you look then you're telling me you hate the way our kids look."

He gazed into her eyes, "But they're so beautiful. They have you for a mother and you're so breathtaking that sometimes I wonder why you even fell for me. You could have done so much better. Had I not gotten you pregnant you'd still be in LA moving forward while I remained here as a piece of property for someone else."

"Stop talking like that this instant! Stop it!"

"It's true Mercedes!" he was beginning to doubt himself, "Would you really have come back to Lima and given me another chance if it weren't for Aurora and Izzy? Granted I would chase you to the ends of the earth, but would you have taken me back?"

"Sam you can't ask me that. What has happened has happened. Do not ask me trivial shit that will do nothing but add fuel to this meaningless fire. I love you and that's all that should matter. Whether someone thought you were a prize to be brought before makes no difference to me because you are priceless."

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips softly against hers. She moaned from his touch as she brought her hands up to his hair. Sam deepened the kiss hugging her closer to his body. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused them to quickly pull apart. They both turned dazed to look to see Marley standing in the doorway with his bags. Immediately Mercedes squeezed herself out of Sam's grasp and rushed over to her brother.

"Marley!" She squealed hugging her older brother.

"Hey baby sis, looks like I was the PDA Police," he teased

"Shut up!"

"That I am. I would have been here sooner but I had stuff to finish up at school."

Mercedes peeled herself away from Sam so he could hug Marley, "Hey man how's it hanging."

"It's been good. Taking good care of my sister and the kids?" he asked

"To best of my abilities," Sam smiled

"Where are they?" he asked glancing around

Mercedes face grew dark, "They're still in the hospital…"

Marley stiffened, "Oh…that's ok! I would love to take a visit to see them. They can have company right?"

"Oh yeah," Sam started, "They always have a lot of visitors. They're pretty much like celebrities at the Lima General," he joked

"Is that my baby boy I hear!" Mrs. Jones shrieked descending the stairs to embrace her son.

"You're looking beautiful as ever," Marley stated

"Hush, don't go butter me up. You're not getting any pie until Christmas."

"Damn…" he muttered

"What was that?"

Marley grinned, "I said MAN mom," he lied

Alisha eyed her son, "Well don't stand there. Take your things to your room and then you can help Sam lay down some salt outside. I see it's starting to snow pretty hard."

"Yes ma'am," he said he said gathering his things and rushing up the stairs.

* * *

Once dinner was over Mercedes had stayed downstairs to help put away dishes. After making sure the kitchen was cleaned she retired upstairs to her room. As soon as she opened the door Sam had been laid out on the bed with a Santa hat and red silk boxers that had Christmas trees on them. She chuckled at the sight of him as he sat up on his knees motioning for her to join him on the bed. Slowly she sauntered over towards him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What are you up too?" she asked bashfully

"Nothing…" he flirted

"You look really sexy in the boxers"

"Do I?" he asked coyly as his roamed over her body, "Well I think you need to lose some of this material…"

Sam had pulled her shirt over her head and slowly started sucking on her neck. She moaned as his lips traveled down to her bra. His gently slid his hand up her body and cupped her tender breast. Sam knew how sensitive they had been lately due to her starting to breastfeed.

"Sam…" she breathed, "We can't… my family…they'll hear…"

He stopped kissing her neck to stare at her, "I don't care…" he panted, "We started something downstairs earlier and I intend to finish it."

Grabbing her he pinned her to the bed. She giggled lightly as he kissed his way down to her sweats. In a swift motion he yanked them down along with her underwear. He gently spread her legs as he brushed his hand against her heat. Mercedes bit her lip at his touch. It had been awhile since they had had sex. They were normally too busy going back and forth to the hospital that by the time they got home to parents they were exhausted. Not wanting to wait any longer Sam bent down and kissed her cesarean scar making a kissing trail all the way down. He flicked his tongue against her clit causing her to squirm. Sam smirked to himself as he started to lather her clit with his tongue. Mercedes threw her head back biting her lip to keep from moaning. Smiling to himself he started to suck on her slipping a finger into her heat. The sound of her low moans had made his dick harder than it already was.

"Sam…oh…" she whispered

He slipped another finger inside milking her as he felt her clench around him. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of an orgasm he quickly pulled his fingers out. She whimpered as he licked his hands clean of her. Not being able to stand the break she grabbed him and kissed him roughly. Sam took advantage of the kissing to grind against her. He could feel her juices soak into his silk boxes. Moaning against his mouth he pushed his pelvis harder against her wanting so bad to feel her tightness around him. Breaking their kiss he attacked her neck as he sucked and bit his way from one shoulder to the other. Mercedes used her legs to try and pull his boxers down from his waist. Sam devilishly smirked at her granting his request and slipping them off. Now the temptation was killing him. He could feel her heat as he gently rubbed the head of his cock near her opening. All he wanted to do was thrust in filling her with himself until she screamed. The one thing that he loved about her had been pregnant was the unprotected sex they would have. The feeling of direct skin to skin contact would send him on the edge. He would be a liar if he said he didn't get small pleasure in filling her with his seed each time.

Mercedes could sense that Sam was hesitating entering her. His kisses alone weren't enough to ease the ache in between her legs. She knew that he was trying to figure out if he should protect them or not. The better part of her judgment told her to grab a condom because they had just got done having two kids already. The other part of her wanted to feel ever ounce of him inside of her.

She broke their kiss, "Pull out," she panted

"What?" he asked in a daze continuing to kiss her.

"Pull out… I need you so badly…"

Without discussing it any further Sam quickly thrust in her, both of them hissing at the feel of each other. Sam's hands found her waist as he slowly slid in and out of her. Mercedes groaned not enjoying the teasing that he was inflicting on her. She gripped his hair, "Fuck me," she said forcedly. Sam pulled out all the way and slammed into her causing her breath to hitch. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked up the pace. He brought his lips down to hardened nipples gently biting and sucking on them.

"You're so fucking tight…shit Mercedes… oh god baby… so tight…" he moaned

"Don't stop…please…" she begged

"So tight," he repeated

The feel of her walls clenching around his cock made his eyes roll into his head. He knew he was getting closer and the tighter she got the closer she was too. Mercedes dug her nails into his back as she could feel her orgasm approaching. Reaching down between them Sam started to rub her swollen clit. Trying to cover her screams she bit down on his shoulder as she came on him. He gripped her waist tighter as her juices coated him. He was so close, he didn't want to stop.

"Fuck…oh shit…I'm about to cum… "He cried

He continued to thrust until he felt himself tense up. Cursing under his breath he quickly withdrew from her and came on her sheets. Groaning he rested his sweaty forward into the crook of her neck. She ran her fingers through his damp hair kissing his face.

"Merry Christmas Cedes," he whispered before kissing her

"Merry Christmas Sammy"

* * *

The sound of a click broke the silence in the room. Alisha had been sitting in bed reading when she glanced over at her husband. She laughed at the sight of the hard expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" she asked innocently

"I'm going to kill him!" he said checking the bullets in his pistol.

She rolled her eyes, "Gary calm down! It's not like they haven't had sex before."

"That's precisely the point! And in our house none the less! Does that boy have no respect that he would defile our daughter under our roof?"

"Put the gun away, you're not shooting him."

"Why? I should shoot his ass. Over here trying to create more babies in under a year…" he muttered under his breath

Alisha laughed, "Go to bed Gary."

"I can't! They're up there making more children as if getting two in one shot wasn't enough. What is wrong with that boy? He must have some nuclear sperm…"

"Go to bed Gary, now! Otherwise what they were just doing is something you and I will not be if you don't get into bed now!"

Gary grumbled as he put away his pistol. He stomped over to bed and got in turning off the light, "Just because I have to go to bed doesn't mean I like it," he mumbled. Alisha closed her book and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas"

* * *

**Song "Danny's Song" by Loggins and Messina**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Sam sat on the bed staring at Mercedes as she lightly snored scrunched up in a sea of pillows. He reached under and started to tickle her foot. She groaned in response trying to shrink away from her offender. Chuckling to himself he decided to pull out the big guns and snatch her blankets away. Mercedes flew up out of her sleep staring at him. If looks could kill Sam would have burst into flames instantly.

"What do you want…" she hissed

"Merry Christmas baby," he grinned kissing her nose.

She pushed his finger against his forehead, "That's what you woke me up for?" she snatched the blanket from him, "Good day sir!"

He snatched it back from her, "Oh no! Get up! It's Christmas morning and I have a surprise for you," he sung

"I don't care…it can wait until later. We don't even open presents until everyone is here!" she muttered

"But this is a special one. Please get up just for a little bit," he pleaded giving her the saddest look that would put Puss and Boots from Shrek out of work.

Sighing loudly, "Fine! But you better let me go to sleep after this."

"Deal," he smiled

He grabbed her and pulled her up from the bed. She groaned as he dragged her out of the room. Once they hit the stairs he covered her eyes, "Hey!" she protested. Carefully he guided them both down the stairs and directed her down the hall. Marley and her mother gave him thumbs up.

"Can I look now?" Mercedes whined

He leaned into her ear, "Ok…now!"

Removing his hands from her eyes her hands flew to her mouth to contain her gasps. There in the living room were her two sleeping babies in their large bow decked out car seats. She was so stunned that that she couldn't find the words to speak. Sam smiled at her as he rubbed her shoulders, "Merry Christmas my love," he whispered. Immediately the tears started to form in her eyes.

Her babies were home

Not wanting to keep the distance any longer she rushed over to them dropping to the floor to stare at them closely. They both were asleep and oblivious to the world around them. Mercedes leaned in and brushed her hand against both their heads. She couldn't contain her tears anymore as they slipped down her smiling face.

"Sam….how…when?" she asked

"Well this was my big Christmas gift to you. I had talked to the doctor weeks ago and he said if they could make five pounds by this time we could bring them home," he smiled, "I guess they really must have wanted to come home."

"Oh baby…this is just…I don't even know…" she cried. Her sobbing had caused Aurora to stir and crack open her eyes. Mercedes lit up, "Hi baby girl! Did momma wake you up?" she cooed

Sam sunk down next to her, "Glad I woke you up now?"

She kissed him as she picked up the dazed baby cuddling her to her body, "Extremely! Oh my goodness look at you. Daddy even dressed you up!"

Marley coughed, "Hey it was a two man job."

Mercedes smiled at her brother, "Thank you! Thank you guys so much…"

Mercedes smiled wildly causing Aurora to smirk at her. Sam had dressed up in a red and black velvet dress. She had a matching headband with a bow that was peaking out amongst the sea of blonde curls. Glancing over at her sleeping son she noticed her brother had put him in a white shirt with a Christmas themed vest. For an infant the little boy looked sharp as hell.

"I tried to put tights on her but it didn't work out so well. I had trouble trying to get it over her diaper and she was just not having it," Sam confessed

"She looks beautiful…"

"This little pimp here didn't put up a fuss because he knew he was going to look fly as hell," Marley said, "He even has a hat, but it kept falling off."

Mercedes say a flash, "What the?"

"Smile!" her mother cheered, "This one is going on the fridge!"

* * *

After Sam's great surprise was revealed that morning Mercedes couldn't fall back asleep. She was so excited to have their babies home to celebrate with them. Sam's family had showed up a few hours later with a sleepy Stacy and Stevie. She had let them use her room so the kids could sleep off the rest of the trip. Mrs. Evans had made herself comfortable in the kitchen with Mrs. Jones as they started working on dinner for their guest. Mr. Jones was busy showing off his gold awards and casually mentioning his fire arm skills to Sam.

By noon the house was now filled with the delicious aroma of food. Isaiah, the quieter of the two Evans twins had managed to spit up all over his nice outfit. Mercedes took him upstairs to clean him up before more guest start to arrive. Sam was busy setting the table when he heard the doorbell ring. Marley beat him too it opening the door slightly only to have it forced into him.

Kurt burst through the door, "OH MY GOD! WHERE ARE MY BABIES?" he shouted walking into the living room.

Marley stared after him as he was about to close the door until someone stuck their foot in the way, "One more coming through," he heard a voice say.

"And you are….?" Marley asked looking at the classy dressed man in front of him holding a bunch of boxes.

"I'm Blaine, Godfather number two. I would shake your hand but I've got them full," he said stepping in.

"This is one weird ass extended family," Marley muttered attempting to close the door again until someone pushed it causing him to fall against the wall.

"Mercedes!" Tina squealed rushing upstairs.

Mike noticed Marley smashed against the wall as he closed the door behind him, "Sorry about that man. Tina's a little excited," he apologized

"No foul bro," was all he said.

Kurt had made himself comfortable next to Mrs. Jones trying to pry his niece from her arms. Alisha groaned trying to shoe the boy away but Kurt wasn't giving up without a fight. Sam chuckled to himself as he watched the mini fight break out in front of him. Blaine had set down the boxes he came with over by the tree before joining Sam in the viewing.

"Mrs. Jones, if you would so kindly hand my sweet daughter over to me I'd really appreciate," Kurt smiled

"Your sweet daughter? Kurt have you been doing drugs in New York?" Alisha asked

His face scrunched, "I will have you know that I am very drug free. I haven't seen my precious babies in months! Do you know the separation anxiety I have been enduring? I gained so much weight during this pregnancy…." He rambled

Alisha side eyed him looking towards Sam and Blaine, "They shared a uterus," they replied in unison.

Huffing she handed Aurora over to him, "Fine. I will go check on dinner…" she said before muttering, "Crazy ass man…"

Kurt cooed as he laid Aurora on his lap, "Oh my stars! Look at how beautiful you are! The pictures I've been getting have not been doing you justice."

"Pictures? What pictures?" Sam asked

Blaine raised his hand, "Mercedes and I have been sending him photos from every hospital visit."

"That's right Sam! I have been parenting on the side under your nose. How else was I going to keep my tabs on my little darlings," he said using one hand to reach into his bag, "Oh and this if for you."

Sam took the papers from him eyeing them, "What is this?"

"This is my schedule for the new school year. It has all my classes and internship times. You see the blue highlighted spaces? That's my free time that I am scheduling for baby time. I expect you and Mercedes to use my time wisely with Skype chats," he beamed as Sam stared at him, "You don't have to thank me. I didn't want to be inconsiderate and make you figure out the time scheduling so I took it upon myself to draw up a schedule. Now the stuff in the orange is when I'm available for phone calls. Again I expect you to use this time wisely when new things happen. Now if you can't get a hold of me please contact Blaine. His schedule is in the back so he too can have Skype chats and phone calls. I need to be in the loop Sam. If we're going to share custody we need to do this right. Blaine and I are new parents so once he graduates we will have to look for a bigger place and baby proof it for visits."

All Sam could do was squint in confusion at his statement, "Don't worry Sam," Blaine said, "We are not time hogs."

"Mercedes!" Sam shouted, "Mercedes come down here now!"

Upstairs Mercedes and Tina were busy trying to piece together a new outfit for Isaiah with Mike's input. Stacy had wanted to help dress her little nephew by casually brushing his hair. The baby was very happy from the attention he was receiving as Stacy carefully picked him up and kissed him. Stacy loved him so much. In her eyes both he and Aurora were like living dolls and she insisted that she carries him around the room while Mercedes got dressed. While Mercedes was going through outfit after outfit Mike sat on the bed with his hands over his eyes engaging in conversation between her and his girlfriend.

"I think someone is calling you," Mike said glancing at the door.

Hearing her name being called in a panic she rushed downstairs with Isaiah in her arms, "What, what happened? Is Aurora ok? KURT!" she squealed

Before Mercedes could make it over to Kurt, Sam had handed her the paper, "Read this," he said

"What's this?" she said looking at it as Blaine took Isaiah from her, "Kurt why do I have your entire 2013 school schedule?"

Sam cocked his head, "Well my love it appears that both Blaine and Kurt are co-parenting with us."

"You're what?" she asked snapping her head in Kurt's direction, "Kurt…"

Blaine smiled, "Before you get angry like I told Sam we are not time hogs. We just want to participate as much as we can seeing as how you all will be going back to LA after the holidays," he said sadly

"Besides Mercedes you didn't think that you could make us Godfathers and not expect us to hold up to our title?" Kurt asked

"It seems a bit much Kurt…"

"Nonsense! Once you get used to the routine it'll be like every other activity."

The doorbell started to ring breaking Mercedes attention away from Kurt. Marley shook his head refusing to open the door again so Mike took it upon himself to answer. When he opened the door Mercedes grandmother, aunt and uncle stood on the other side confused.

"This is the Jones's residence? My son and his family didn't move and not tell me?" the older woman asked

Mike looked surprised, "This is the right house. Hi I'm Mercedes friend's boyfriend Mike," he said stepping aside to let them in.

"Oh boy…for a minute I thought I was at the wrong place… I'm getting so old…" she trailed

"Alisha!" the younger woman called as Mrs. Jones appeared around the corner, "Girl look at you!"

"Sherice! It's been so long. Damon, Mama Jones," she said hugging her in-laws.

"It's so bright in here," Mama Jones said looking around the living room.

"So where's Mercedes and these babies I kept hearing so much about?" Sherice asked ignoring her statement.

"I still can't believe I'm a Great Grandma," Mama Jones said stunned

Mercedes gently took Aurora away from Kurt as she strolled over to her family, "Hi Auntie Sherice! Grandma Jones!" she smiled

Both her aunt and grandmother stared at the baby in her arms, "It's so good to see you Mercedes… "

"Everyone… this is Aurora," she squealed turning so her daughter could face her family.

"Oh my… she's so-"

"She's really white looking Mercedes," Mama Jones blurted out.

Sherice sighed heavily, "Mama…" she warned

Mama Jones looked from Mercedes to her daughter in law, "What did I say? I was just complimenting…"

"She's beautiful Mercedes!" Sherice said running her fingers up and down the baby's arm, "So where's Samuel? I want to meet this man your father told me about." she asked curiously

Mercedes turned around, "Sam!" she called

Damon had rejoined his wife and mother in law as they scanned the room for 'Samuel'. All eyes landed on the tall dressed up shaggy haired blonde that was clutching a little boy in his arms. Damon grinned, _'Oh this is going to be good…'_ he thought to himself as he eyed his mother in law. Sam stepped towards the group smiling like he had when he had given Mercedes her Valentines Day gift at her locker.

"You're Samuel?" Sherice asked as her eyes racked over the handsome young man.

"That I am. My name is Sam and no I don't like green eggs and ham," he replied sweetly laughing.

"Is he for real?" Damon asked his wife.

Mama Jones side eyed Alisha then looked from the blonde baby in Mercedes arms to the blonde holding the brunette baby and pursed her lips, "Oh… you're Sam…" she said with understanding.

"Please to meet you," he said sticking his hand out and shaking everyone's, "This sleepy munchkin here is my son Isaiah."

"You're son?" she repeated stunned, "I thought Mercedes only had one baby?"

"No Grandma I had twins," Mercedes reminded her noticing the weird vibe her grandmother was giving Sam.

"So both the babies are yours?" she asked staring at Sam.

"Mother…" Sherice warned as she could hear her husband snickering under his breath.

Mama Jones had leaned in to get a closer look at Isaiah, "Oh yeah he's definitely a Jones. His face is all Mercedes."

"Actually," Sam started, "He's an Evans not a Jones."

"What?"

He smiled, "His name is Isaiah Sully Evans and her name is Aurora Munroe Evans. I'm Samuel Evans and I consider Mercedes an Evans. So we're the Evans's family," he explained cheerfully.

"Well no to be rude Samuel, but unless there's a ring on Mercedes finger then it's Jones."

Sam bit his lip, "Well Ma'am, not to be rude but there will be a ring on Mercedes finger."

Marley had been in the background watching the tension unfold in front of him. He kindly squeezed between Sam and his sister, "Grandma! I didn't realize it was you. I was wondering who that beautiful young lady was standing there," he cheesed escorting her towards the kitchen.

Sam's eyes trailed them as Marley gave him a wink before they disappeared. He looked down to see Mercedes staring at him with wide eyes. Smiling at her he kissed her face, "Don't make a big deal out of it," he said turning around to leave. She was about to say something when Tina caught her off guard.

"Is it present time yet?" she asked leaning over to plant kisses on Aurora's face, "I think everyone's here."

"Yeah… I think now would be a good time. I'll go round up everybody."

Mercedes took off going from room to room to gather everyone into the living room. Sam had put Isaiah back in his carrier and sat down on the floor tickling the baby's tummy. When Mercedes reappeared with family in tow she did the same with Aurora. Stevie and Stacy were excited because ripping to shreds gift wrapping paper was their specialty.

"Ok, whose going to be the gift giver?" Mr. Jones shouted

"I nominate Marley," Mercedes said grinning at her brother.

"Marley!" Sam chanted causing everyone to join in.

Marley accepted his role and grabbed the first box, "Sam this is for you from Mike?" he said.

Sam tore open the package, "YES! It's the Avengers special edition DVD! Mike I love you so much man!" he thanked

"This one is for you mom from Aurora and Isaiah," he laughed

Alisha opened her gift pulling out a sweater that said 'Double the Trouble for Grandma', "Thank you Aurora and Isaiah," she said walking over to bend down and kiss the babies.

"This is another one for Sam from Mercedes."

Sam glanced at her as he curiously opened his gift. His eyes lit up as he let out a squeal of delight, "Oh my god! You got me it!"

Mercedes laughed, "What is it?" Kurt asked

"It's a baby sling carrier! How did you know that I wanted this so badly?" He beamed kissing Mercedes.

Mr. Jones took the box from him, "Is this some sort of backpack for babies? I swear you kids and this generation. You guys have the strangest crap ever."

"It's not a backpack dad," Mercedes corrected, "It's so Sam can continue to kangaroo with the kids' hands free."

At the mentioning of his new gift Sam was slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He nonchalantly opened the box and quickly strapped the sling to himself. "Why is that boy getting naked in my living room?" Mr. Jones asked his daughter as Sam adjusted his sling. "Ok munchkins, who wants to be daddies little kangaroo?" Sam asked adoringly to his children. When he received no response from either of them he grabbed Isaiah who was the closes to him and put him in his sling. Self cheering at his success he sat there smiling at their family and friends who in returned had mixed emotions of admiration, shock, horror and comedy on their faces. Both Blaine and Marley quickly snapped pictures of the sight in front of them to pos to Facebook.

"Sam this is not a nudist colony," Mercedes teased

"Ah but I'm not really naked," he said emphasis on 'really', "This sling is fashionable."

Mr. Jones groaned, "That's it I'm getting the pistol out again," he muttered to his wife.

"Leave the boy alone. Don't ruin his proud father moment. I think it's sweet."

"Maybe if I get another one I can put it on my back and get a two for one deal," he said glancing behind him to figure out the dynamics of such feet.

Aside from Sam glowing over his unexpected Christmas gift everyone else was enjoying their gifts. The Jones's had given Mercedes and Sam a digital camera so that they could take pictures of the babies. Sam was eager to set it up, going around taking pictures of everyone and the kids. By the time dinner was ready everyone was starved. Sam had retired his sling for now and put his shirt back on so he and Mercedes could feed the babies. Mrs. Jones wanted them to enjoy themselves so she and Sherice took over feeding duties. Once grace was said everyone was starting to dig into the food.

"The dinner looks so lovely Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Evans," Blaine announced

"Yeah Ma, you guys out did yourselves," Marley added

"Dad can you pass me some white meat?" Mercedes asked

Mama Jones chortled, "Is that your favorite dear?"

Sam taking notice of her sly comment decided to reign in, "Well I for one love dark meat. It's so tender and the best part on the turkey," he said proudly

"ALISHA!" Mr. Jones called

"Forget it Gary, I hid the damn thing!" she replied from the other room.

"So Sam," Sherice started, "How long have you and Mercedes been together?"

"Roughly about two years. I met her when I was 16 and I'll be 18 in May…"

The sound of a fork clanging caught their attention, "My, you are very young…." Mama Jones said

"So Mrs. Jones…" Mary started, "I love this macaroni and cheese that you made."

"Thank you dear. The secret is that there are all kinds of cheese mixed in there."

Kurt side eyed Blaine, "I am so thankful that I am here to witness some shit today and that there is alcohol present," he whispered to Blaine.

"So Sam what do you plan on doing after you graduate? Are you looking into colleges? Maybe seeking out a profession?"

"Um…well to be honest with you ma'am…"

"Sam you don't have to answer anything," Mercedes said staring at her Grandmother.

"No it's alright babe. She doesn't know me from a hole in the wall. She's curious so I'll bite. I'm not ashamed," he said turning his attention back to Mama Jones, "To be honest I really haven't thought about college. I mean I did until I found out we were expecting. For the record I already somewhat graduated. I got my GED," he beamed

"Sam!" Mary cheered

"Way to go bro!" Mike said doing a hand shake with him.

"I'm so proud of you Sammy," Mercedes said smiling lovingly at him.

"That's not something to be proud of young man," Mama Jones said deflating his ego balloon.

"I did what I had to do. I'm a family man, what can I say," he shrugged, "My girl is in school and making a name for herself. I support everything that she does and if it means I gotta take a dive in the education department that's fine by me. There are other good qualities to me. Besides I have a really good paying job back in LA."

Mama Jones wiped her mouth, "But there are doctors and lawyers in this family. Surely you want something more?"

"All I really want is for my family to be taken care of and a roof over our heads. That's pretty much my top priority. Now I would never asked Mercedes to set aside her dreams. Just because we had kids young doesn't mean our lives have to end."

"Well said my boy," Dwight said raising his glass to his son.

"Hmmm…." Mama Jones stated pursing her lips

"Gotta hand it to him Ma, the kids got Moxie," Damon said receiving a hard glance from his mother in law.

"You know Sam…" she started

"Yes Ma'am?" he answered taking a sip of his water.

Mercedes could feel anxiety riding up in her chest. This was supposed to be a happy occasion. Their babies were home from the hospital, alive and healthy. Her parents had finally accepted them into their lives. Now their friends were all here. Instead of everyone being in good spirits she was watching in horror as her grandmother made sly attempts to interrogate Sam.

"I can't help but notice your background… Our family is very independent with a lot of morals. Mercedes is actually the first one to have a child out of wedlock."

"Mother…" Mr. Jones pressed

She held up her hand, "Now, now let me finish. What I'm getting at is it's not uncommon for a person of your background to be in this situation. However it's usually common for a negative stereotype to fall on Mercedes because of it."

"Grandma it's not like we're on welfare and food stamps," Mercedes spoke, annoyance dripping from her voice.

"For now..."

Sam knew his patience's was being tested and today the lord was testing him, "Well that's a shame you think like that Mrs. Jones. I maybe a poor white kid that knocked up a smart black girl but at least I know that I'm genuine. My intentions are genuine and my heart is genuine. No offense to you but your granddaughter's happiness is that matters and shouldn't be questioned," he said taking a bite out of his food as Alisha stood in the door way shooting a fiery glare at Mama Jones, "Mrs. Jones the meal you made is so delicious. You're going to have to write down all your recipes so I can pass them onto our kids later on," he said with a smile.

Alisha crossed her arms, "Will do Sam. You can have anything you want," she turned her attention back to her mother in law, "Can I see you in the kitchen for a moment?"

Mama Jones stood up gracefully as she followed Alisha out of the room. It seemed as if the heavy air that was lingering went out with her as everyone let out a deep sigh. Sam appeared unaffected by the ordeal he had just been in. No one knew what to say for the next five minutes.

"What does a person of your background mean Ma?" Stevie asked his eyes full of curiosity

Mary bit her fork hard, "Um… it's just another way of talking about someone's personality."

"You ok Sam?" Mercedes whispered looking at him.

He grinned, "I'm fine babe. I told you it's not big deal."

"Well!" Kurt said breaking the tension, "How cute was the blazer sets that I made the twins?" he asked

"I thought they were adorable!" Tina said, "Which is odd because I hate blazers but they will look so cute in them."

"I know right! Blaine and I have this whole upper east side look planned out for them."

"Dude you watch way too much Gossip Girl," Marley stated receiving stares, "What? You've never been alone and bored late at night and have nothing to watch…"

"Anyways… Sam, we need Isaiah to mature up to like age 5 so you can teach him how to play Halo," Mike said

"Oh no! No one is aging my baby boy up! I want him to stay as little as possible."

While everyone at the table had entered into a light banter of superheroes, movies, games and music the same light conversation couldn't be said in the kitchen. As soon as Mama Jones had stepped out of ear shot of everyone Alisha's face went from anger to livid. She almost looked like a Banshee as she tried to compose herself before talking.

"What do you think you were doing?" she asked

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Fix your face Alisha, you're going to get deep wrinkles before your time," Mama Jones said flatly

"How dare you embarrass Sam in front of their friends and his family?"

"Embarrass him? I did no such thing. If he felt embarrassed then that's because of the responses he was giving. Honestly Alisha you allowed a boy like that to impregnate your daughter?"

"He is a sweet and caring man, not a boy. You had no right to insult him like that."

"Please… by the looks of it his own intelligence insults him on a daily basis. You think the crap he is pulling is sweet and cute? Mercedes is going to grow tired of him very quickly. She needs a real man in her life, not some man child."

"Who are you to say who or what my daughter needs?"

"What happened to that nice Shane boy I met at the barbeque last year? He had a full scholarship and a promising athletic career! How the hell could you let Mercedes downgrade to _that_?"

Instant guilt had hit her as she reminisces quickly about her and her husband's previous behavior, _'Now I see where he gets it,'_ she thought to herself. She couldn't believe the way her mother in law was acting towards Sam, who she had recently started accepting would be her future son in law. Yes the woman was old and yes she had been around hard times but that was no excuse for her to project her ideals onto anymore but herself. Her and Mama Jones have never seen eye to eye. When she had first started dating Gary she disapproved right away because she wasn't the right kind of girl that his mother had wanted him to be with. Time and hard patience is what lead to them finally getting married, as much as Mama Jones protested. She felt like history was repeating itself but with Sam in her shoes.

Alisha grabbed a glass of wine and sipped it slowly, "This shouldn't be a concern to you."

"Why? You obvious felt embarrassed by him too otherwise you would have talked about him more often and would have also told me he was white."

"I don't have to tell you anything. He's a person."

"A white person that you let your daughter run off and have two kids with in under a year. Mercedes is a strong, talented and independent girl like the rest of us Jones. To see her fall so far is heart breaking…"

"She didn't fall anywhere. She is happy and living her life."

"In my day we would have solved this situation before it even became one. Where's your head and your pride Alisha? I know my son married a smart woman."

Alisha was taken back by her statement, "Listen Gertrude what my daughter does is none of your business. Your job is to be the loving Grandmother you have always been and nothing more. You don't get to dictate my daughter life. You don't get to question her choices. She is a grown ass woman with one hell of a man supporting her. They have been through enough to last them a millennium. Those two and their two very beautiful kids will grow up to be even more beautiful and bright people like their parents. If you don't like it then you can kindly get the fuck out of my house," she spat

Now it was Mama Jones turn to be stunned by her statement. She straightened her blouse, "Well I never…" is all she said before turning around to leave the kitchen.

Alisha smirked to herself as she finished off her wine, "Score one for me and none for you…"

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews! So Grandma Jones isn't the sweet type of grandmother that keeps candy in her purse, pity. Sam loves his kangaroo time. You can expect more of up to show up later on. This is the last update for the rest of the week... sorry guys :( Let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

The holidays had went by pretty quickly. Both Mercedes and Sam were relieved when her family had left her parents house. It took all the strength Mercedes had to not disrespect her grandmother for disrespecting Sam. If it hadn't been for him reassuring her the entire time she would have came out of her skin. All the negativity was replaced with the fact that they official had their babies all to themselves. Even though they wanted to tell their friends and family they wanted to be alone it wasn't fair to them since they would be leaving back to LA after New Years. Once they rang in the year 2013 it was time for them to say goodbye to Lima, Ohio officially and pack up and go back to their apartment in LA.

Her parent's had seen them off since most of their friends had gone back to school. Mercedes had to admit that she was a little nervous that she and Sam would be left with their babies to themselves. It would be just the four of them. No parents to help them out or friends, well other than Puck. Sam on the other hand was confident that they could do this and do a great job. He reassured her that everything was going to be ok between them.

* * *

**1 Week Later**

Mercedes had finally returned home after a long day of being on campus. In the end she was successful at scheduling all her classes for the summer semester. Her next adventure for tomorrow was to get back into the studio until then. Turning the key to her apartment to open the door she was greeted by silence. Scanning the tiny apartment she noticed Puck passed out on the bed with Aurora snoozing on his chest. She quietly chuckled as she pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a picture. Now she had to figure out where Sam and Isaiah were. This was Sam's first time completely alone with their babies and by Puck's noticeable presents Sam needed backup at some point. The sound of splashing had caught her attention as she wandered off towards the bathroom door. Pushing open the door she paused at the sight in front of her. If she had to make a note in history of her favorite Sam moments this would be one of them. A very naked and wet Sam sat scrunched in their bath tub sporting a soap suds hat and beard washing their son. Not wanting to ruin the moment she snapped a picture for keepsake.

"So this is what happens when I leave you alone with our kids?" She asked smirking at him.

Sam snapped his head around and blushed fifty shades of red, "Well…he needed a bath and this was my first time doing it alone."

"So why are you in the tub with him?"

"I was scared…" he confessed lowering his head causing his suds hat to fall off.

Mercedes laughed, "Aw… baby why were you scared?"

"Because…" he said giving her puppy eyes, "I was afraid I might drown him or something."

She walked over to the tub and sat on the toilet, "Honey he can't drown in a baby tub. That's why he's in it," she said softly.

"I know but…it's just a fear ok," he said.

She knew that out of the both of their children Sam was extremely protective of Isaiah. Almost losing him had did a number on Sam's mental state so he was constantly worried about his son being hurt or in any form of danger. Mercedes thought it was sweet but hoped that he would grow out of it at some point before he turned into a smothering overprotective father. The last thing she wanted was for her son to live in a bubble. Smiling she leaned into the tub and tickled Isaiah's tummy.

"Hey baby boy! Are you having a good time with daddy?" she cooed trying to make him laugh, "How were they?"

Sam leaned back against the wall, "They were good for the most part…" he started.

"Sam…" she pressed on

"Ok, so maybe I needed a little help," he said pinch his fingers together, "Ok maybe a lot. Well it was easy at first because they were sleeping and then one would wake up and visa versa. All hell broke lose when they both woke up and wouldn't stop crying! Oh my god Cedes the cries were endless. I tried feeding them, they wouldn't stop. They weren't wet either. I tried rocking both of them and it just wasn't going to happen. I thought for sure that one of the neighbors was going to report me for neglect or something," he pouted

"Oh my poor baby! We really need to talk about getting them on a schedule so this doesn't happen."

"Yeah I was a mess Mercedes, A MESS! I felt so bad that I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my babies…so I called Puck and thank god he was done cleaning pools for the day! We teamed up and put on a show for them. Aura really likes it when someone sings to her. Isaiah seems to be indifferent towards it so we had to figure something else out for."

"Aw…don't be sad. I'm sure he thinks his dad has a nice voice."

"Maybe or he's picky. Probably used to hearing you sing all the time from the motherland."

"The motherland? Sam, really?"

"What? It's where he's from and you're his mom. Besides I think the word 'womb' sounds funny. I always think of aliens, pod people and implantation," he said growing wide eyed.

"You're such a mess Sam but I love you"

"I love you too…you think that you could take Izzy so I can dry off. We're starting to get pruny in here."

Laughing at him she draped a towel across her chest and picked her son up. She cuddled him close swaddling him in the towel before handing one to Sam. Mercedes eyes focused on his body as he stood up to dry himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist. Stepping out he kissed her softly before kissing his sons cheek. They both walked out of the room and into the main area. Sam quickly found some shorts and a shirt before hurrying back to the bathroom to change. Mercedes picked Aura up off Puck's chest before waking the man. In his sleepy state he groaned and rubbed his hands against his chest feeling for something. When he felt nothing he cracked an eye and shock up scaring Mercedes.

"Oh sweet cheesus I thought I lost the baby," he said staring at her.

"Nope she's safe and still asleep. Thank you for helping Sam out."

He smiled, "It's no problem. She loves her Uncle Pucky," he cooed

"Uncle Pucky?" Sam mocked leaning against the wall.

"Whatever baby daddy," Puck scoffed, "So Mama, what's for dinner?"

Mercedes arched an eyebrow, "Dinner? You guys didn't eat all day?" she asked narrowing her eyes at Sam.

He gave her a sheepish grin, "Well…we did try making one of those boxed dinners but I got the measurements wrong and Puck burnt the food…so yeah…" he said looking down at his feet.

"And this is why I had to come and save him from himself. We managed to feed the kids though thanks to my help!"

"Did not! I could feed my own kids Puck. They wouldn't stop crying"

"DUDE! YOU WERE CRYING AT THE DOOR LIKE YOUR DOG DIED!"

Sam turned his back glaring over his shoulder, "You said you wouldn't speak of what I did."

Mercedes loud snorting broke up their argument as a very pride hurt Sam glared at his love. She couldn't contain it anymore and started laughing loudly. Aurora started to stir in her arms at her mothers booming voice. Mercedes clamped her mouth shut trying to hold her laughter in before gently rocked the little girl. Sam hissed at Puck and walked off towards the kitchen.

"Mama I'm going to be honest with you. You have three babies up in this piece. Call me anytime you want Big Daddy Puck to come at take care of business," he said smirking at her.

Sam threw something across the room at him, "Ain't nobody taking care of shit Uncle Pucky," he snarled

"Aw… Sammy don't be like that. I think it's cute you got upset," Mercedes cooed getting up to join him in the kitchen.

Sam was angrily taking out pots and pans, "I told him to keep his mouth shut! I told you I just had a little trouble…"

"It's ok Sam"

"Please don't revoke my babysitting privileges," he pleaded with wide eyes.

"Honey they're your kids I can't keep you from babysitting."

He exhaled, "I just want you to be reassured that I can take care of us and handle them too. I don't want you questioning me…"

"Sweetie I'd never question you."

He ran his fingers through his hair, "I know but I just get so scared that one day you'll decide that I'm not a good enough father and take my kids from me. I would be so lost without you guys," he confessed.

She sighed, "Sam you know that would never happen. You're doing a good job. I probably would have cried-."

"CRIED LIKE A BITCH!" Puck yelled from the bed.

Sam picked up a magazine and threw it at him, "Watch you language in front of my children motor mouth!"

Mercedes closed her eyes, "Sweet Jesus… Look I'll make you guys something to something to eat. It's pretty obvious you guys are tensed from starvation. I'll have to make a mental note to pre-make food for you and freeze it."

"Thank you" he whispered

"Now boys, apologize to each other," she said

Puck crossed his arms, "He started it"

"You were hitting on my wife!"

"You aren't even married you blonde psycho!"

"The kids signify the martial bond!"

"Whatever crybaby…"

"Whatever your Mohawk is ugly"

Puck gasped pretending to be hurt, "Really? Is that how you truly feel?"

Sam started to laugh, "I'm sorry man," he said walking towards his friends.

"Ah, I'm sort a sorry too," Puck said hugging him

Mercedes smiled before walking away from them to put Aurora in the bassinet. She looked around the room a bit. They really did need a bigger place. Granted when she moved here to a studio it was only her until she found out she was pregnant. Then Sam showed up, then they found out they were expecting twins. Her bachelorette pad quickly became a tiny home for a family of four. She still couldn't believe that they were a family. Hell she still couldn't believe she got pregnant and had the ability to bare the love of her life's children. She knew Sam was happy and content with them in his life, but sometimes she still felt like they were a burden. He was a year younger than her and he was forced to once again grow up, leave school with only a GED and become a parent in less than a year. Every night she thanked the heaven's for him and his ability to still stay with her after all the shit she put them through. Smiling she placed her daughter down and stood to admire her two babies. They were so tiny and so beautiful. Their daughter favored Sam while their son favored her. Aurora had the cutest honey blonde curls that were starting to form on her head. Isaiah on the other hand still had wispy fine brown hair. Some point when they were dating she fantasized what it would be like for her and Sam to have kids. Her reality had exceeded her expectations. Breaking her thoughts she turned around to walk towards the kitchen to make something for her two favorite babysitters.

"So do you guys want pasta or Hamburger Helper?" she aked looking into the cabinets for something easy to make.

"Oh…Hamburger Helper that's so delicious," Sam said with a slight drool

"Really dude? Your taste buds are shot," Puck said, "But whatever Mama makes is good enough for me."

Sam glared at him, "They are not! Besides I have to have good ones so I can taste test baby food."

"EW! Man, don't go around eating your kids food. That shits so gross," he whispered

"What? It's not! It's pureed version of regular food. They don't have any teeth so how else would they eat?"

"I just thought they sucked on boobs and bottles."

Mercedes had dropped the box she had on the counter, "What?"

Sam waved her off, "Don't be stupid. They need other things other than breast milk. Wait why am I even discussing my wife's breast to you?"

"Just act like I'm not in the kitchen…" Mercedes muttered under her breath.

"Seriously? For the last time crazy she's not your wife. She maybe your girlfriend and your baby mama but not your wife yet."

"YET!" he sneered, "Who are you to judge what I call her? I call her by how I see her and in my eyes she's my damn wife and I'm her husband. Got it?" he was now glaring hard at Puck.

"Fine, fine I'll leave it alone," he said, "I still think you're crazy though…" he whispered receiving a side eye glance from Sam.

If this is what they were doing right now she could only imagine what their entire day was like together. She chuckled to herself trying to envision these two grown fools in her kitchen handling two small children. Once the food was done she separated them into bowls and sat down at the table. Everyone quietly ate as she smiled. Things were really starting to look up for them. Now all she needed to do was get back into the recording studio to fill up the time until her summer semester. They were going to need all the money they could get once their babies started developing more. One of them was hopefully a new apartment so they weren't crammed in one room together.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait. My schedule has become super busy so I needed to take care of those things first. Thank you so much for the PM's and reviews! I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story.**


	24. Chapter 24

Sam sat at the foot of the bed watching his babies like a hawk as they slept. Between the two of them Sam had been taking his new parental role to the extreme. In his mind he thought he was being thoughtful and protective. In reality he just came off as plain crazy. Every time he heard either of them make a small noise he would instantly become paranoid of one waking up to start off the chain reaction. Mercedes had been noticing his behavior but didn't know how to confront him about it without upsetting him. Hearing a whimper his eyes moved back and forth between Isaiah and Aurora, "Please don't wake up, please don't," he prayed. He had just gotten them to sleep after all the struggling he had to do. He refused to call Puck again for assistance after he had sold him out to Mercedes about his emotional breakdown. To say he didn't love his children was an understatement. Sam loved them more than anything in the world even if he didn't get very much sleep and had lost a couple of pounds since moving back to LA. He wanted Mercedes to be focused on her work while still trying to uphold the perfect father image in his mind. When he heard the whimper again he scooped up Aurora out of her bouncer and held her to his chest, "Shh…go back to sleep…" he whispered rubbing her back. She continued to fuss and he started to panic, _'Maybe they miss Mercedes?'_ he thought. Sam instantly felt bad as the idea of them visiting her at work. "I could use the excuse that I'm taking her out to lunch right?" he asked Aurora. He fell back on the bed staring up at the ceiling as he tried to get his daughter to settle down, "It's just lunch. It can't hurt to stop by and say hello," he said to no one.

* * *

It felt good to be back in the studio working. She was so excited that she was taking this big step to making her dreams come true. Although bits and pieces had already happened, she wouldn't change the events for anything. However she missed Sam, Aurora and Isaiah. As much as a relief it was to get out of their apartment she had small bouts of separation anxiety. Part of it was guilt that Sam was always stuck in the apartment with them until she got home so he could then go to work. The other part was because her babies had only spent a small amount of time inside her and the rest in a hospital. She just wanted to be near them at all cost but had to fight the urge to stay home with Sam.

"Sam…" she sighed

"Excuse me?" Travis asked looking at her.

She looked around, "Huh? Oh…um…sorry. I was just thinking about Sam."

"Oh," he paused, "Trouble in paradise?"

"No, not really"

"Not really doesn't seem like nothing's going on," he said putting down the sheet music in his hand.

"It's just…we're new parents and he's doing such a fantastic job, even if he doesn't think so. He tends to them, feeds them, plays with them and just stays in the apartment. He works late hours on movie sets afterwards and then comes home when the suns almost up," she bit her lip, "He even lost some weight. I'm so worried about him."

Travis stared, "Wow…maybe he needs a break?"

"A break?"

"Yeah, I mean…this is just coming from my male perspective. Sam could have a totally different view but if I was him I'd feel some sort of resentment. Not about having the kids just all the responsibilities that comes with them."

Mercedes looked at him as her mind racked, "I don't think Sam resentments me."

Travis frowned, "I didn't say you per say I meant the situation you guys have. You don't have to take my words for face value. I'm just saying."

"Sam wouldn't though. He loves me and our family. Sure I mean he's probably stressed out…"

"Just talk to him and see how he feels. I'd hate for you to wake up one morning and find out he packed his bags and went back to Ohio because he couldn't handle the pressure anymore."

Mercedes dropped the pencil in her hand as her mind raced. _'Would he really abandon them if it became too much?'_ she thought. Feeling her breath catch in her throat she fought off the many scenarios that were rushing through her mind. What if he did leave her? Then how would she be able to balance school, work and two babies at the same time? What if he secretly hated her and every time he went to work it was a relief to be away from their family. What if he cheated on her with someone else that didn't cause so much stress on his life?

What if…

* * *

Pulling into the parking garage Sam shut off the engine and hopped out of the car making his way to the back. Popping the trunk he pulled out the double travel system trying to carefully unfolding it, "Damn this thing is like a brain teaser," he said aloud struggling to set it up. After another minute he got it folded out, double checking to make sure it was safe. Sam smiled to himself as he opened the car door to stare at his sleeping kids. He decided that today was going to be Evans's Matching Day. He had dressed both of them in matching flannel shirts while he sported his own. Unbuckling the car seats he carefully attached them to the travel system. Not wanting to risk exposing them to the sun he draped a blanket over the travel system before leaving the parking garage.

Downtown LA had been filled with a lot of people. Sam scanned the building numbers until he had found the correct one for Illuminate Records. He strolled inside of the brick building heading over to the security desk to sign himself in. Taking his sticker badge he placed it on his shirt before following the directions of the guard to the elevator. "We're going to see mommy!" he beamed as he waited for the doors to open. Pressing the button to her floor he listened to the music that was being played. He started to head bob to the song until the doors had opened again and he was staring at all the people lounging around. He walked over to the receptionist desk.

"Uh hi, I'm Sam Evans. I'm here to see Mercedes Jones," he said

The receptionist who was on the phone had looked at him, "One minute," she said before going back to her conversation.

Sam waited for a few more minutes, "Can you tell me which room she's in?" he asked calmly.

The receptionist turned around and glared at him pointing to a door down the hall.

Not wanting to start an argument with the woman he thanked her and headed down the hallway. Gently he turned the handle before walking into the recording studio. Mercedes sat in a chair with a rather thin looking Latino man hovering over her looking at something. Sam immediately didn't like the man's demeanor and cleared his throat. Mercedes head snapped around as her eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Sam what are you doing here!" she squealed with excitement.

He wrapped his arms around her, "I came to take you out to lunch," he lied smiling at her.

"Aw…my babies," she cooed looking over her children, "Sam…why are you all wearing flannel shirts?"

"We're matching today," he grinned pointing from the babies to himself.

Travis stood in the background watching the interaction between them, "So you're Sam?" he said making his presents known.

Mercedes blushed, "Oh I'm so sorry! Travis this is Sam, Sam this is Travis my producer," she said.

"Travis Vasquez," he said sticking his hand out.

Sam extended his hand, "Hey man nice to meet you! Sam Evans. I think it's so awesome that you're giving her the start she needs," he smiled.

Travis eyed him, "Yeah…well she's very talented. You're a lucky guy."

"Indeed I am. Very lucky"

Sam whirled around when he heard a fussing noise from the stroller. Smiling he picked up Isaiah walking back over to chat with Travis, "You just wanted to be held didn't you buddy?" he cooed kissing the top of his son's hair. Sam brought his attention back to Travis while he ran his fingers through Isaiah's hair. Mercedes had returned to the sound booth to finish the track she was working on. Travis couldn't keep his eyes off the little boy.

"He's cute. Looks more like Mercedes though. Hardly anything of you," he said flatly

Sam laughed, "Are you kidding me?" he turned the half awake baby in his arms to cup him under the legs while his other hand braced his chest, "A little but he's all Trouty Mouth Jr. here," he smiled rubbing his face into the little boys cheek causing him to grin. Sam mimicked his smile to show the likeness between them.

"Yeah…I see…I was very surprised when Mercedes first came here. She didn't tell me she was pregnant until months later."

"Well…yeah…I'm sure she didn't know she was pregnant right away," he lied, "Plus she was probably afraid you wouldn't hire her."

"None of the sorts," Travis scoffed, "She's a very beautiful and talented young woman."

"She is"

"It's such a shame that she has to endure so much at a young age, especially when she's trying to make a name for her," he stated folding his arms.

Sam arched an eyebrow as he continued to cuddle his son, "Yeah well…the world had a different plan for her I suppose. It's just a small hurdle."

"Maybe, but what happens when she becomes famous?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like when she's out giving interviews, making appearances, touring and all that great stuff. Where does that leave you? I can't imagine you'd want to stay in the house all day."

"I do work you know," his brow wrinkled, "Any success that she has isn't a problem for me. I want her to be success at what she does because she is amazing."

"Ah…but whose going to look after your kids though? Are you going to let them go on tour with her while you work or keep them here with you," he pressed

Sam's mind ran over his words for a second, "What are you getting at?"

"All I'm saying is what happens when playing house is over. I'm not trying to get at anything. Just looking out for the best interest of my client. I don't want her getting distracted and failing at her career."

"She would never do that. I wouldn't allow her too," he stemmed.

Travis shrugged, "You never know Sam. Family is important to her."

Sam pursed his lips ready to continue this conversation as Mercedes stepped out of the recording booth. She had a bright smile on her face and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin the moment for her.

"How was it?" she asked looking back and forth between both men.

"Perfect," they said in union

"Well I'm ready to go whenever you are," she said grabbing her purse and setting it in the holder of the travel system.

"Yep, just let me get Izzy all settled back in"

He stared at Travis for a moment his expression turning hard when he smiled at him. Turning around he took the now sleeping boy in his arms and put him into the carrier. Sam carefully strapped him in before pulling the blanket over him and putting the pacifier in his mouth. Grabbing the handles of the travel system he started to walk out of the door. Mercedes had waved off to Travis and caught up with Sam in the doorway.

"So where too?" she asked linking her arm with his.

He looked at her lovingly, "Well…what are you in the mood for?"

"Hmm…maybe go to this really cute café I keep seeing around here. We could sit outside with the babies."

"Ok love, how far?"

"It's a few blocks if you don't mind walking"

Mercedes smiled at Sam's acceptance to their lunch location. They headed outside quietly walking to the café that she had mentioned. Neither of them said anything to each other. She kept glancing up to see Sam's facial expression. He had seemed to be lost in thought as he stared forward pushing the travel system. Her eyes glanced down trying to peak at her sleeping babies who were being covered by a blanket, _'Sam the ever so thoughtful father,'_ she laughed to herself. She found it cute that he would try and cover them up outside because he had rationalized why too much hot sun exposure would hurt their sensitive skin. Even if he was a little overboard with things he still meant well and tried his best. Stopping in front of the café they grabbed a seat outside as the a waitress came over.

"Hello! Welcome to our shop. I'm Rubella! Here are some menus," the waitress started tilting her head to try and look into the travel system. Mercedes smiled and moved the blanket a little, "Oh my goodness they're so cute! Oh…um…today's specials are spinach and feta pita, supreme egg salad, roasted chicken breast and orange sauce salad, and pumpkin cheesecake."

Sam looked over the menu, "Um…I'll have a grilled smoked salmon sandwich with a mocha java latte."

"Excellent, and for you miss?"

"Oh um…the spinach feta pita sounds delicious. Can I also a fruit smoothie?"

"Great, I'll put your orders in and be back with everything."

Rubella had left the table leaving them to sit in silence. Sam put his arms behind his head smiling at his girlfriend, _'I can't believe that dick! Well he really wasn't trying to be one…he was just expressing his concern for Mercedes. The hell should he care for though? It's his job to care because she's his client and what will get her the career launch she deserves,'_ his mind was having a tug of war with him. He sighed looking over at the travel system. They hadn't made any noise yet and Sam was starting to get antsy to check them again.

"Leave them alone Sammy, they're sleeping," Mercedes said

He looked at her, "I know but they're so quiet…it's suspicious"

"Honey you should be thankful they're being quiet," she laughed

"I suppose…"

"So how's work? I haven't gotten a chance all week to ask you about it."

"Works work. It's been a little slow lately a lot of shows are on break for the holidays. It's still fun though!"

"Oh really? What show are you currently working on?"

Sam smiled, "Um…right now I'm interchanging between 90210 and Glee right now."

"Oh that's sound awesome! Have you met anyone yet?"

"Yeah, I always meet people. None too exciting, they're just regular folks."

"Oh…" she smiled fiddling with her fingers, "Sam can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything"

"You don't…you aren't mad that you are watching the babies a lot are you?"

He sat up in his chair leaning forward, "What? No…why would you ask that?" he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm just asking because we barely get to see each other and when we do it's briefly because you have to go to work or you go to bed."

"Oh…well I'm just tired Mercedes. I have to do what I have to do to make sure our families secure."

"I know, you just work so hard…I noticed you lost some weight…" her voice trailed

"I'm fine, I just need to start bulking up more when I go to work. Moving things around burns up a lot of calories."

"I see"

Rubella appeared near them, "Here are your orders!" she said placing plates down on the table.

"Thank you," they both said.

Digging into their food they both ate quietly. Their lunch date was supposed to be exciting and fun, instead they both were sitting here eating as if they were being forced to be in the same room with each other. Mercedes immediately recognized Aurora's cry and stopped eating. Since Sam had the travel system near him he started to tend to her.

"No let me," she said getting up and moving over towards him, "Eat Sam, you need to eat. I'll take care of her."

"It's not a problem Mercedes," he said staring at her.

"I know but…we're both parents. I'm here now so I want to handle it."

"Just because you're here now doesn't mean you have too. I'm fine with it Mercedes, I'm with them day in and day out."

"Which is exactly why I'm ok with it. She looks hungry so I'm going to feed her."

"I don't think, I think she's just wet," he pointed out

"Sam that's her hungry cry, not her wet cry."

He closed his eyes, "Mercedes I know what my daughter cries sounds like."

Mercedes patted the baby's bottom, "She doesn't feel wet"

"I'm telling you she is, she's not hungry. I fed both of them before I came here."

"Sam! Just let me do this ok!"

"I don't know why you're challenging me with this Mercedes! You're barely around them! I have to take care of them almost 70% of the damn time," he yelled causing the baby to cry harder, "Jesus! Give her to me so I can go change her."

Mercedes stared at him with a hurt expression on her face. She handed a now hysterical Aurora over to him as he grabbed a baby bag, "Watch him please," he said before getting up to find the bathroom. The way he had just spoken to her made it seem like she was a stranger who had no contact with children whatsoever. As if she wasn't the mother at all and he was the only parent. His words had started to echo through her head, _'Maybe I need to be home more…he's right though. I couldn't even tell she needed her diaper change vs. being hungry…am I a bad mother?'_ she thought to herself tears filling up in her eyes. Suddenly Travis's words from earlier came back, _'Maybe he does resent me! He practically just told me himself that I'm not even there and he does all the work. Who wouldn't resent me?_' her thoughts were broken when Sam returned with their daughter calmly staring into space.

"All better now!" he said cheery, "You just didn't want to have a soggy bottom anymore."

"I'm sorry," Mercedes said a loud

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm just sorry"

Not wanting to press the subject anymore Sam smiled before putting Aurora back into the carrier. They ate the remainder of their lunch in silence. Both of them didn't know what to say to each other. Sam was busy having a silent conversation with himself every time he glanced up at her. Mercedes had been doing the same. Neither one of them wanted to express any of their thoughts or concerns that were running through them. They just wanted to eat in peace and enjoy their small amount of time together.

* * *

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I had a lot of fun writing the previous chapter because the idea of Sam and Puck babysitting is just pure gold. Expect more Spuckedes and Spuck moments in the future.**


	25. Chapter 25

"Dude you look like hell. Please don't tell me you've been crying again," Puck asked dragging a bag into the apartment with him.

Sam glared, "No you ass I have not. I'm just exhausted."

Puck went over to the bassinet to find Isaiah staring up at him. He smiled and collected the boy before walking back over to Sam. As much as Puck was a pain in the ass sometimes Sam wouldn't trade their friendship for anything. Watching Puck interact with his son made him smile. He was thankful to have at least one friend here in LA that would stick with him and that also didn't mind his kids either. _'I wish Mercedes was here,'_ he thought for a moment, his smile turning into a frown.

"Hey!" Puck said snapping his fingers.

Sam shook his head, "Huh, what?"

"You were getting that dog died look again. Man…if you cry on me again I'm going to take your kids and leave you to your depressing self."

"I am not depressing!"

"Yes you are man. Look at little Izzy. Lil dude is gonna grow up all sensitive and shit because his father is a crybaby."

"Just because I have feelings and like to express myself does not make me depressing or a crybaby," he scoffed

"Yeah well…all I'm saying is your vagina is showing right now."

"Stop using those words!" he hissed

Puck looked down at Izzy, "That is the politically correct word to use! It's not like I said Pu-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"Fine fine… so what's really going on," Puck asked staring, "I'm being serious here now. I want to know what's bothering you."

Sam sat down at the table and propped his hand up under his chin, "I don't know where to start man. I think I'm being paranoid."

"Dude you've been paranoid since the day I met you. It just got worse once Mama popped out your babies."

Sam glared, "That's beside the point! I'm being serious here Puck! I don't know whether it's just me being crazy or if something is going on."

"Well lay all the facts out and we'll see if there's a case to be made."

"Ok…so you know how like we've been so busy lately that we don't see each other?"

"Yeah…"

"Well she's been putting in extra time at the studio working on her album. I went to visit her the other day and I swear it felt like her producer was hitting on."

Puck shifted Isaiah in his arms, "Say what? Who the hell is hitting on Mama."

"I just said her producer…" Sam rolled his eyes, "Anyways! Like he was really close to her and stuff. Then we had a talk and it was like the guy was trying some Jedi mind trick shit on me."

"What'd he say?"

"I can't remember his words exactly but he was just a little too concerned for my taste about our home life. I mean I get that he wants her to be focus but dude I didn't ask for your opinion!"

"You should punch that fucker in the face!"

"Langauage! And no I can't. He's Mercedes producer and I can't ruin her chances. She'll never forgive."

"So you're just going to let some other dude sling his dick in your territory?"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON!" he heard Aurora start to cry, "Oh hell I woke the baby up."

Sam got up and picked up his daughter, "It's ok Princess," he said trying to soothe her. He rubbed her back until her cries turned into small hiccups. Walking back over to Puck he sat back down before putting her pacifier in her mouth. He rubbed his face in her hair.

"I love this baby smell," he sighed

Puck scrunched his face up, "Your hoo ha is showing again."

"Shut up…"

"Ok so what makes you think it's all in your head?"

"Because we really don't talk anymore. It's not like we don't know how we are just too tired or two busy to have a real conversation with each other. She also asked me the other day if I resented having to stay with the babies most of the time."

"Whoa…why'd she ask you that?"

"I don't know! She just asked out of the blue and it caught me off guard. I also kind of yelled at her too…"

"You yelled at her? Sam, really?"

"I was just frustrated ok? Aura wouldn't stop crying and she kept on insisting that it was because she was hungry. I knew that it was her wet diaper cry but we kind of battled it out. It ended with me telling her that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference because she doesn't spend enough time with them like I do."

Puck stared at his friend, "Look I might not be a chick or anything but I'm pretty sure in girl speak you just told her she ain't doing her motherly duties."

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah ya did dude. You like stole her mama card so you can become this mommy daddy hybrid."

Sam bit his lip looking down at his daughter, "I…shit really? Do you think she really thought that?"

"I'm just making an educated guess Sam. The only way for you to know is if you ask her yourself. You shouldn't be keeping things from each other anyways."

"I suppose you're right."

"Uncle Pucky is always right isn't he Izzy?" he asked to the baby, "Besides have you even told her what you've really been doing at night?"

Sam stiffened at his words letting his mind wander. Of course he hadn't told Mercedes where he was going at night. For one thing she'd kill him and possibly leave him. The other would be that he didn't want her to feel bad about getting out of the house. He stared at Puck who gave him an unenthusiastic look before looking at his daughter. Sam would have to tell her eventually but not right now. Not when they were already starting to have cracks in their relationship again. The last thing he wanted was for the dam to burst on them.

* * *

Mercedes sat at the mixing board going over the lyrics in front of her. For the past few days she had been rewriting some of the songs she had been working on. One thing that she liked about upgrading from a back up singer to an actual artist was that she got the chance to sing her own music. Travis had been playing back the music so that she could arrange her vocals for the song.

"I like the beat," she said

Travis smiled, "Yeah it's pretty dope. Want to try laying down the vocals with the beat this time?"

She got up and walked into the sound booth placing her papers on the stand. Pulling the large headphones on her head she gave Travis a thumb up. Mercedes closed her eyes and let the piano music intro flow through her. When she heard her part she opened her eyes and leaned into the microphone.

_Some people live for the fortune _  
_Some people live just for the fame _  
_Some people live for the power yeah _  
_Some people live just to play the game _  
_Some people think that the physical things _  
_Define what's within _  
_And I've been there before _  
_But that life's a bore _  
_So full of the superficial _

_Some people want it all _  
_But I don't want nothing at all _  
_If it ain't you baby _  
_If I ain't got you baby _  
_Some people want diamond rings _  
_Some just want everything _  
_But everything means nothing _  
_If I ain't got you _

In her mind she was picturing Sam in the room with her singing to him only. When she had wrote the song originally it had been way back when they had first started dating the first time. Sam had just revealed to the Glee club that he was homeless and she immediately felt bad for silently agreeing with the others suspicions in the room. Somehow they ended up connecting afterwards and they immediately hit it off. He was her first and only love she had ever known.

_Some people search for a fountain _  
_That Promises forever young _  
_Some people need three dozen roses _  
_And that's the only way to prove you love to them _  
_Hand me the world on a silver platter _  
_And what good would it be _  
_With no one to share, with no one who truly cares for me _

_Some people want it all _  
_But I don't want nothing at all _  
_If it ain't you baby _  
_If I ain't got you baby _  
_Some people want diamond rings _  
_Some just want everything _  
_But everything means nothing _  
_If I ain't got you,you,you _

Her dreams were slowly coming true. All this hard work and effort was for not only her now but her family. She wished that her and Sam spoke more and had time to actually talk. Mercedes hated feeling like they've almost become strangers in their own home. She understood why though. They're crammed in a small place, she's here for long hours, and by the time she gets home he's heading out the door for work. Thankfully today she was only going to record this one song and then head home early, hoping that Sam would be in the mood to talk.

_Some people want it all _  
_But I don't want nothing at all _  
_If it ain't you baby _  
_If I ain't got you baby _  
_Some people want diamond rings _  
_Some just want everything _  
_But everything means nothing _  
_If I ain't got you _

_If I ain't got you with me baby _  
_Nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing _  
_If I ain't got you with me baby_

"That was perfect," Travis's voice said into her headphones.

"Thank you! So I don't need to record it again?" she asked

He shook his head, "No, it sounds solid. Why do you have to go somewhere?"

"Well…I kind of just wanted to go home a little early today to spend some time with my family."

"Oh…" he thought, "That's fine. Are you going to talk to Sam?"

Her eyes softened, "Yeah, I figured do it now instead of waiting for it manifest into something that it's not."

"Well I wish you the best," he said hugging her slowly.

"Thanks Travis, you're really great."

"Anytime sweetheart," he said softly. She grabbed her things and headed out the door, "Anytime…"

* * *

"Dude he puked all over my shirt!" Puck yelled, "This is my lady hunting shirt."

"It's just spit up Puck," Sam said annoyed trying to wipe his friends' shirt.

"Yeah but…"

"Take your shirt off"

"What? NO!"

"Puck take off the damn shirt so I can clean it better."

"No way man, I can clean my own clothes!"

What started as a simple thing now turned into a mini fight. Sam grabbed Puck and pinned him against the wall trying to wrestle the soiled shirt off his friend, "You're being so damn stubborn," he hissed. Puck was trying to push the slightly shorter man away from him. Just then Mercedes had opened the door to see Sam pressed up against Puck on the wall. Her eyes immediately tried to register the situation in front of her. Sam was either attempting to steal Puck's clothes or have his way with him.

"What the hell is this?" she yelled

Both boys froze, "Mercedes you're home early!" Sam exclaimed moving away from a disheveled looking Puck, "Baby I missed you"

"I see that… is that why you and Puck were on the verge of getting it on?"

"What? No…Izzy spit up on his shirt so I wanted to clean it."

"HE WAS TRYING TO HAVE HIS WAY WITH ME MAMA!" Puck pouted

Mercedes eyes flickered between the two of them, "Why couldn't he just take off his own shirt?"

"Because Puck was being a dumbass and wanted the shirt to be ruined."

"I was not! He was taking advantage of me!"

"I was not you ass!"

"Was so…he touched me in places"

"I BARELY TOUCHED YOU!"

"It was so horrible… I can't even speak of the things that were being done."

"I can't believe you"

"Mama it's the truth! Had you not walked in I don't know what would have happened to me," he pretended to cry.

Mercedes walked over to him and patted his back, "Aw…"

"Don't aw him Mercedes! Puck stop trying to make my wife feel sorry for you. You're such a baby!"

"Am not! Man handler"

"Ok enough!" Mercedes shouted, "Puck get your shirt cleaned up now! Sam you and I need to talk."

"Oooohhhhh someone's in trouble," Puck teased as Sam glared at him.

"Clean your shirt Puck," Mercedes said through gritted teeth.

"Fine, fine, I'll head on home," he said planting a kiss on Mercedes cheek, "Later loser," he called to Sam before leaving.

Sam stood in the middle of the room scowling with his arms crossed. He couldn't the dramatics of his friend of cleaning a simple shirt. His eyes glanced over to Mercedes who was now sitting on their bed waiting for him to join her. Sighing he walked over and sat cross legged on their bed, 'I wonder what she wants to talk about?' he thought.

"Sam…"

"Mercedes…"

She glared at him, "Sam, I want to talk about us."

He immediately felt his heart leap into his chest, "What? What did I do wrong?" he panicked

She placed her hand on the side of his face, "Nothing baby, calm down."

"Oh…" he started, "But you just said…"

"Can you let me finish?"

"Yes"

Mercedes sat there for a moment trying to collect her thoughts, "The other day when you took me out to lunch and I asked you if you resented having to care for our kids most of the time and you said no. Was it the truth?" she asked looking him in the eyes.

"What? Of course it was the truth. Why would you think I would resent taking care of my own children? It's my job Mercedes."

"Just because it's your job doesn't mean you have to like it."

He closed his eyes briefly, "I do like it. I'll admit it's hard at times because two small children verse one person is very exhausting, but I wouldn't trade it in for anything," he smiled, "Where is this coming from? Why do you all of a sudden think I resent our life?"

"I just…"

"Did I do something wrong that would make you think otherwise?"

"Not really it's just that we barely talk anymore," she cried, "We aren't the same anymore!"

He sighed, "Baby before it was just the two of us. Now there are four of us. All that time we had to devote to each other has been split up into threes."

"I know. I just wish that we could have more time to ourselves. You work so hard for us Sam. I feel like your teenage years are being wasted."

"My teenage years? Did you forget what I had to do for my parents? I've never been a teenager"

"That's my point! I at least got too, you didn't. You've been handed an advance ticket into adulthood. That's unfair to you."

"No it isn't. Mercedes you're making a big deal out of nothing."

"Am I?" she asked, "Or are you just one day going to realize what a big deal it really is and walk out on us?"

Sam froze for a moment before his facial expressions turned to anger, "Are you kidding me? I would never leave you!"

"You don't know that Sam. One day you may have enough of this life and feel like you got the wrong end of the deal and then leave."

"I fought to get you back twice. FOUGHT FOR YOU! I traveled across the US to track you down to make sure I wouldn't miss out on my kids lives," his eyes drifted to the two bassinets, tears filling up, "I would never abandoned them. Even on my worse day I would never leave my children. They're my babies Mercedes and I love them just as much as I love you. I can't believe you would think I would leave you!"

Mercedes had felt guilty and foolish all in one setting. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes at the moment. She knew that he would probably get mad at her accusation but she still had wanted to ask. In her head all of it made perfect sense at the time. In reality Sam had did nothing to warrant her questioning. If anything he should have been questioning her. She was the one who was barely home and barely saw their kids.

"I'm a bad mother…" she whispered

Sam stared at her, "What did you say?"

"I'm a bad mother!" she shouted, "I'm accusing you of all this when I'm the one who isn't even around. I can't tell the different between my babies cries. I don't know what's going on with you anymore. It's like I'm forcing you to be both parents while I get off scot-free!"

"Whoa…slow down Mercedes," he said thinking about his conversation he had with Puck earlier, "You're not a bad mother baby…I'm sorry if what I said the other day made you think you are."

"But it's the truth Sam! What kind of mother can't tell her child's wet?"

Sam paused, "I…"

"Exactly!"

"What the hell is going on! Mercedes this is crazy."

"No it's not! Sam it makes perfect sense. It's me I'm ruining this family."

"Have you gone crazy? Is this what you do at the studio all damn day is wonder about if our life is falling apart?"

"YES! Because I'm not at home to see if for myself so I can only wonder."

"The mind is a dangerous thing Mercedes"

She started to cry, "I just want us to go back to the way things were before…"

Sam paled, "…but before you weren't pregnant. We weren't a family..."

"I know we weren't a family but sometimes I wish we could just have that moment back just once in the mix of all this crazy."

He looked down at his feet, "So if I hadn't gotten you pregnant you wouldn't be so stressed."

"Everyone's stressed Sam! I'm just saying it didn't help. Nor does it ease my paranoia."

"I see… so our children's birth was a mistake?"

Her tear filled eyes staring at him, "I never said they were a mistake! I just said I wouldn't be so stressed out."

"No I get it Mercedes…" he glanced down at the watch on his wrist, "I should be heading to work."

Sam stood up slowly walking around the room to find his sneakers and duffle bag. He was fitting back the tears that were threatening to spill, '_She really does think we're a burden on her…_' he mind spoke as he tried to force the pain he was feeling down. Mercedes sat silently crying watching Sam move about the apartment. She didn't know what else to say to him for the fear of it all coming out wrong again. She loved him more than anything in the world but she had to admit that times were a lot tougher for them. However she would never regret having their children or the life they were living now. She just wished it wasn't so hard.

Sam slung his bag over his shoulder before kneeling down in front of her, "I'm going to go ok? Enjoy the rest of the day to yourself," he said sadly stroking her face.

"Yeah…"

"I love you," he said kissing her, "I'll always love you no matter what, ok?"

"Ok…I love you too Sam"

He nodded staring at her for a moment before walking over to the bassinets. His eyes started to fill with tears as he watched them sleeping, '_They're so innocent…they don't deserve any of this_,' he thought before pulling a blanket over Aurora and placing Isaiah's pacified in his mouth. He kissed the both of them before leaving the room. When the door closed Mercedes stared at it as if she expected him to walk right back through the room. The sound of one of the babies' crying caught her attention as she went over to see who it was. She hated that she couldn't tell their sounds apart. Looking down she saw Isaiah staring up at her with tears in his eyes, "I know baby boy…daddy left for work," she said painfully before picking up the whimpering baby, _'Fuck…'_.

* * *

**Song "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. Thank you again for the reviews. To answer most of your concerns even though they've faced issues in the past together they're still young and parents. Stress can make you do and say crazy things. However do not worry, they won't be breaking up because of it. **


	26. Chapter 26

Sam had just put the babies down for their nap when he got a text message from Blaine to sign onto skype. Checking over his children once more he put their binkies on top of their changing table before grabbing his laptop. He setup it up on the bed as he waited for the screen to load up. Stretching across the comforter he signed into his account and clicked 'Video Call Blaine Anderson'. Once his call was connected he was immediately met with Blaine's smiling face. Sam waved at his friend on screen.

"Hey there Sammy!" he beamed

"Hey Blaine, how are you?"

"Sam!" he heard Joe say leaning into the camera waving.

"Hi Sam!" Both Brittany and Marley waved in the background.

"So Sam how's the family?" Blaine asked, "Are my little babies doing well?"

"We're doing good," he lied, "I just put them down for a nap."

"Awww…" he heard everyone exclaim

"Well thanks everyone. I love you too," he teased

"It's ok, we just wanted to check up on you and see how you and Mercedes were doing."

"She's been very busy working on her first album…"

"That's so cool!"

"How's LA? Are you enjoying the never ending summer over there?"

"It's nice, I mean I don't have to change clothes really for all seasons anymore so that's a bonus. To be perfectly I really haven't seen much of LA. I'm usually either working or taking care of my kids."

Blaine frowned, "Aw Sam, you have to get out more often! Isn't Puck nearby?"

"He is…" Sam paused for a moment, "But you know how Puck is. He's a Wildman and pretty carefree. I can't keep up with him. I'm a dad now I really can't just go and hangout. I got to make sure they're ok first."

"I understand…well we miss you!"

Sam smiled, "I miss you guys too!"

"Mr. Shue's about to start up the club so I'll have to chat with you later."

"Ok…thanks for calling."

"BYE SAM!" everyone shouted before the call ended.

Closing out of Skype Sam sat there looking at the screen. Blaine was right. He did need to get out of the house more often by himself but he didn't know how or when to make time for him. His kids were his world and the thought of leaving them alone for an entire day weighed heavy on him. At the same time Mercedes saying that was possibly smoothing and coddling them didn't help either. Pulling up his web browser he decided to search for local support groups for teenaged fathers, _'Maybe I can connect with some of the dads around here,'_ he thought to himself. Most of his findings led him back to back to teenage parents, which he and Mercedes were. "She would never have time for this…" he said to himself sadly. Further inspecting the group he saw that they welcome singled parents. While he was not one by any means he still wanted to find a way to connect with people that wasn't just Mercedes and Puck. Filling out his and the babies information he registered them for their next meetup.

* * *

Mercedes was caught up in laughing at Travis's joke that she didn't hear the knock at the door. She quieted down when the knock came again as Travis stood up to answer it. Walking over he slowly opened the studio door to reveal a Mohawk man staring him down. The guy sized up Travis before smirking.

"Is Mercedes here?" he asked

Travis is taken back the guy's demeanor, "And you are? This is a private studio-"

Puck notices Mercedes sitting on a lounge chair and lets himself in, "Mercedes!" he called

"Puck?" confusion written all over her face, "What are you doing here?"

"Mercedes who is this-" Travis was cut off by Puck's hand in his face.

"Uh huh, that's cool that you're nosy bro," he said to the man, "Mercedes, get your stuff I'm taking you out for the day."

"Why? Is something wrong? Are the babies ok? Is Sam ok?" she asked worriedly.

"They're fine Mama. You would know that for yourself if you actually talked to each other."

Mercedes looked down, "Did Sam send you?"

"Sam ain't send nobody. Big Daddy Puck has come to take Mama Jones out, now…"

"Hold up fool, you think you can just walk up in my studio and kidnap my client? I'm calling security."

"Eh, slow your roll Marc Anthony. This is between me and the lady. I appreciate your enthusiasm dude but this doesn't concern you. It's a family matter."

Travis crossed his arms, "A family matter?" he stood back to take a good look at Puck, "And you're related how?"

"How you think? My daddy banged her mother. What are you racist or something? Never seen a half black Jew before?" he saw Mercedes purse and grabbed it, "Come on we're wasting time."

Mercedes looked dumbfounded, "Um…I'll be back in a bit," she said feeling Puck pull her arm, "I'm really sorry"

Puck guided Mercedes out of the studio by her arm gently. Other staff and clients in the building were looking at them questionably until the got inside the elevator. Once inside Puck let go of her and leaned up against the wall. Mercedes stared at him contemplating if she wanted to punch him in the face or kick him in the balls. When the elevator dinged he escorted her out to his parked truck out front. Opening the door for her she got in while he went around to the drivers side. The silence in the car was eerie and Mercedes couldn't stand it anymore.

"So kidnapper, where are we going?" she asked

Puck's truck comes to a stop, "Here?"

"Here?" she turns to look out the window and see it's a park, "A park? Why?"

"Don't ask so many questions Mama, you'll see."

He walked over to her side of the door and held of her hand as she stepped out. Mercedes kept looking around confused thinking something was going to jump out at her at any given moment. Seeing the panic on her face Puck held her hand thumbing her palm. Feeling her calm down a bit he smiled as they strolled through the park.

"Did I ever tell you about my family?" he randomly said.

She glanced up at him, "No…I mean I know that your dad was a deadbeat and your mom had to raise you."

"Precisely…" he said looking down at her, "You know. The Puckster might be a strong man but he still kind of wishes his daddy was around."

"Oh…I'm sorry"

"No need to be. However I've accepted that he's a rat bastard and that's his choice. My mother on the other hand was a strong woman who did what she had to do to make sure I'd make it to my adult years alive."

"Well parents would do anything for their children."

"Yes they would… had my father been a better man I'm sure they would have worked their problems out like most adults do."

"Puck…"

"Which is why I think you and Sam need to time to yourselves."

"We're busy Puck-"

He glared at her, "Don't give me that 'We're busy Puck' bullshit. You make time for your family. That's the difference between mine and you and Sam's. My daddy wasn't a good person and my mother realized that and let his ass go. Sam on the other hand is a great dad," he paused, "He might be a crybaby but he's still a great dad. Just like you're a great mother. Two great people need to learn how to appreciate each others greatness instead of letting it fade away."

"Sam and I did talk. It didn't end very well…"

"I heard…I also heard you asked him some scandalous shit."

She stopped walking, "I didn't ask him anything out of the ordinary."

"Let me ask you Mama. Where did you get the bullshit from? Why all of a sudden did Sam become a target?"

"I was being paranoid," she thought for a moment, "We don't see each other so I had to ask."

"Ah huh…well I don't think you came up with it on your own. Tell me, did someone maybe say something to you to that made you question Sam?"

"No?"

"That sounded more like a question than an answer."

"I don't know where it came from ok. One minute I had these ideas and then I tried to talk to Travis about it to sort them out and the next thing I know Sam's bringing these ideas to light."

"Ah…and we come full circle to Pitbull your producer."

"His name is Travis"

"I think he likes you"

"He does not"

"Oh but I think he does and I think Sam knows it."

"Sam wouldn't think that."

"Of course he would! He loves you! However he loves you so damn much that he wouldn't dare question your work ethics," he smiled at her, "I on the other hand could give two shits."

"Where's this going Noah?"

"Ouch, my first name. All I'm saying is you need to talk to him right now."

They came to a halt as Mercedes noticed Sam a few feet away from her laughing and lifting Aurora in the air before giving her kisses. She missed seeing the joyful look on his face. Mercedes felt like her heart was melting at the sight of him sitting wide legged on a blanket in the grass playing with their babies. Puck nudged her in Sam's direction before racing ahead of her.

"Hey man, sorry I'm a little late," Puck said smiling down at his friend.

Sam looked up his eyes being covered by his baseball cap, "It's ok dude. We're just having fun in the sun."

"I'm surprised considering your big fear of them getting sun burnt."

"Ah they're ok. I managed to find SPF 130 sun block for them," Sam studied him, "Aren't you going to sit down?"

Puck stuck his hands in his pockets, "Nope… I actually have other plans. I only came because I wanted to drop off a present for you?"

"Really? What?" he said looking around until he spotted Mercedes, "Puck…"

"HEY MAMA! GET OVER HERE!" Puck yelled, "See ya Sam. You'll thank me later."

As Puck took off Mercedes slowly approached him with a small smile on her face. Sam's eyes watched her as she stopped moving to take her heels off before stepping on the grass. Setting her bag down she slowly followed suit. Not ready to make eye contact with them she focused her attention of the babies who lay staring up smiling on the blanket.

"Hi my little sweeties!" she squealed, "Mama missed you," she said leaning over to kiss them. She laid down on her side so that she could stare at them more.

"Hey Mercedes…" Sam said slowly

She looked up, "Hey Sam…"

"So…what are you doing here?"

"Puck kidnapped me," she said flatly, "This is a nice park. Do you always come here?"

"Yeah I come here everyday with them so we get fresh air. We sit here and chat, watch other kids and their families play…"

Mercedes looked down, "I'm sorry Sam"

"Sorry about what?" he asked before picking up Isaiah to cuddle him.

"The other day…"

Sam averted his eyes to focus on his son, "It's ok… I understand you were just stressed out."

She bit her lip, "I shouldn't have accused you like that," she said reaching over to rub his arm, "I love you Sammy. It's hard…really, really hard. I get so caught in what I'm doing that I let other things tackle me. You shouldn't have been one of them and for that I am truly sorry."

"Mercedes it's ok…"

"STOP SAYING IT'S OK!" she yelled louder than intended, "We haven't spoken to teach other in days since then. Hell we barely spoke to each other before than. We're supposed to be there for each other and take care of each other. I feel like I keep letting you down."

Sam glanced at her for a moment before closing his eyes, "I understand why you felt the way you did. You wish we could go back to be being just Sam and Mercedes. Not Sam and Mercedes and company. No one ever said this was going to be easy and I knew it wasn't the moment I decided to chase after you again. I made a commitment to this family and I intend to honor that. I will always stick by you and our children. However if you feel like we're too much then…" he voice trailed on.

Mercedes looked at Sam with wide eyes, "Too much? What are you suggesting? That I forget about you and the babies. I would never do that Sam!"

"You made it perfectly clear that we are holding you back!" he hissed.

Her crossed her face, "I did not… all I said was that I was stressed and that it can be too much at times. I would never walk away from this, never!" she cried

Mercedes crying had caused Aurora to pick up on her mother's emotions. The little baby started to whimper and tear up. Sam would had his arms full with Isaiah was trying to adjust the boy so he could pick her up. Mercedes shook her head at him and possessively gathered her daughter in her arms kissing the small baby's head. They both sat there staring at each other tearfully, each clutching one of their children, _'Why is this so hard?'_ she thought trying to read Sam. Sam slowly extended his hand to her face to brush the tears off her cheeks. He smiled at her trying to fight back his own tears. She placed her hand over his before lacing their fingers.

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, "I'm not leaving you."

"Good, because I'd hate to have to get creative again to bring you back."

He leaned over and kissed her softly. Mercedes deepened their kiss forgetting that they were out in the open. Both the babies had started to stir from being uncomfortably close to each other. Sam laughed breaking their kisses so he could hold Isaiah up above his head before planting kisses over the boy's face.

"Guess they don't like to see mommy and daddy kiss," he joked

"I guess not," she smiled, "Sam…are we good?"

He glanced at her smiling, "Yeah love we're good."

They both sat there trying to entertain their children while enjoying each others company. Sam made a mental note to thank Puck for bringing Mercedes to him. He had a feeling that this act of heroism was going to boost Puck's ego further than it needed to be. Mercedes glanced over at Sam smiling at the way his face lit up when he gave their children kisses. She hated to admit it but for once Puck actually had a good idea. She made a note in her mind to make him a nice dinner the next time he was over babysitting the kids.

When the sun had started to set the family had called it quits for the day. Mercedes helped Sam pack away the babies things as he secured them in their travel system. Aurora and Isaiah had fallen asleep after their parent's non stop playing and cuddling. Mercedes pushed the system as Sam carelessly slung his arm over her shoulder walking closer to her. She smiled up at him and rested her against them. "This is really nice," she said blissfully. "It is," he replied in the same tone. Sam directed them to where he had parked the car. Mercedes was in charge of buckling their carriers in while same broke down the system to put in the trunk. Once they were situated they got in the car and drove him. The park wasn't very far from their apartment so the ride had been a short one. They both got out and each grabbed a carrier before heading inside and up the stairs. Sam was the first to pull his key out and unlock the door. "Home sweet home," he quietly announced to the babies walking in and over to their bassinet. He carefully unbuckled Aurora and picked up the sleeping baby slowly before laying her on her stomach. Mercedes did the same with Isaiah before standing back with Sam to partake in watching her babies sleep.

"You know…" Sam said coyly, "We're alone"

Mercedes raised her eyebrow, "They're sleeping Sam…"

"We can be very quiet," he whispered kissing her softly.

Mercedes didn't have a fighting chance once their lips met. She sighed heavily as she gave into him. They hadn't kissed like this in awhile and it was causing goose bumps all over. Wrapping her arms around his waist she slid her hands up and down his toned back. Sam deepened their kiss slowly walking them backwards to the bed. He gently laid Mercedes down as he moved his lips to her neck. She bit back a moan as she felt him suck hard on the sensitive spot on her neck. Digging her nails into his back he moaned in her mouth as he arched his back. Sam pulled away from her to grab the ends of her shirt and pull it over her head. He marveled at her breast before leaning down to nip at her exposed flesh. Reaching behind her he unhooked her bra with ease and tossed it on the floor, "How lovely," he said seductively before sucking on a sensitive nipple. Mercedes bit her lip in frustration to muffle her noise. Sam gently bit and dragged his teeth against the harden bud before snaking a hand down her pants to cup her sex. He could feel how wet she was becoming for him as he massaged her through her panties. Not wanting to take his teasing anymore. Mercedes released her hands from his back and started to fiddle with his jeans. Successful she tried to pull them down with her legs. Sam smirked at her wiggling out of them. He pressed his erection against her center causing her breath to hitch. Sitting up Sam pulled his shirt off as he watched Mercedes squirm underneath him to get out of own pants. The sight of her naked was sending him over the edge. His lips came crashing down onto her pressing his length against her moist heat. The feel of his rubbing up against her was driving her mad, "Sammy please," she pleaded to him, "I need you in me now…" Their kisses grew heated as Sam teased her opening before plunging into her. They arched hissing at the feel of one enough. He broke their kiss to tease her nipples as he thrust in and out of her gently but firmly. She griped the sheets feeling his thickness stretch her out, "Sammy…" she breathed heavily. Sam slipped his hands underneath her to grab her ass firmly as he picked up speed, "You like that?" he aggressively whispered. He didn't want to be too loud for the fear of waking their kids up but he couldn't contain how turned on he was by her. She wrapped her legs around his back to grant him deeper access whimpering as he found her spot.

Sam was determined to make her cum first. Feeling a change in his mood he decided to try a little dirty talk. Reaching between them he pinched her clit, "Whose pussy is this," he whispered in her ear. Mercedes shuttered at his words and the feeling. When she didn't respond right away he pinched her again causing her to hiss, "Yours… it's Sammy's," she panted. He eased up on the pinching to massage her. Using his other hand to brace himself on the bed Sam pumped harder into her while feverishly rubber her clit until he felt her clench around him. Mercedes dragged her nails up and down his back as she felt her release coming. Throwing her head back and sinking in her bed she came on him. Feeling her juices on him he picked up his speed, "Oh shit baby…so fucking good," he cried. He looked down at her and could tell she was still trying to come off her high while trying to contain the pleasure he was still giving her. Leaning forward he kissed her. The touch of their lips had set off his own orgasm as he shot his load into her. The feel of his hot semen caused Mercedes to cum again digging her nails into him.

Once they had both rode out their orgasm's he gently pulled out of her and collapsed on the bed next to her. Both their bodies were drenched in sweat. He gathered her in his arms and planted kissed all over her face. The tension that they both had been feeling for weeks was washed away. She sighed snuggling up to his naked body. Sam glanced over her shoulder to see if their hot moment had woken the babies up. When he didn't hear any whimpering he smiled, "I love you." She looked up at him with bright eyes, "I love you too Sammy," she whispered back to him. Not wanting to let go of this moment they both held onto each other until they fell asleep. For once they were both going to sleep peacefully with each other.

* * *

**Authors note: In case anyone was curious Mercedes has an IUD insert. So no new baby Evans any time soon.**


	27. Chapter 27

After that day when Puck had decided to be the mediator between the two of them, they had started opening up more and trying to find more family time. Both parents had seemed less stressed now that they were focusing on taking care of each other and sharing responsibilities. Mercedes was thrilled to see Sam more often. She had been missing his face and their love. As a result he shared his concerns with her about Travis, wanting to let her know that he supports her decisions but wasn't fond of the behavior from the other man. She had reassured him that nothing was going on and that it was strictly business. Sam had felt relief in knowing that he wouldn't have to go to jail any time soon.

They had decided to have a little family day today. Sam had went out and brought a bunch of snacks and got movies from the Redbox for them. He had been busy in the kitchen making popcorn as Mercedes sat on the floor propped up against the couch trying to get Isaiah to stand. She knew that the babies wouldn't be walking for awhile but she insisted on starting them early. Isaiah fussed at his mother as she lovingly laughed at his little scowling face. His features were starting to come in more and every time he got upset or angry his face mimicked his fathers. Sam turned around at the sound of frustrating coming from his son.

"Not giving up on getting him to walk huh?" he asked amused.

Mercedes frowned, "He's such a little meanie! Aurora can at least stand up for a few seconds. He's just being stubborn and ridiculous."

Sam laughed, "Aww…well he gets that from you. Aura gets the determination from me. Don't you sweet pea," he cooed walking over to them.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "Whatever! Come on buddy stand up for mommy please?" she begged. Trying to pulling him up again until he wiggled and started to scream, "Ok, ok, no more standing up, sheesh!" she said scooping the boy in her arms.

Shaking his head Sam sank down next to her, "So much for those magic mommy skills huh?" he snickered

"Shut it," she spat pinching him.

"OW! Don't be violent!" he hissed before leaning over to pick up Aurora, "Mommy is so mean to me. Yes she is. Daddy is abused and beaten everyday but he's so nice to mommy. It's a cruel game little one," he spoke planting kisses on the baby's face.

Mercedes side eyed him, "And our son gets his ridiculousness from you."

"Damn straight! That's a good Evans trait to have."

"I keep asking myself everyday why I love you…"

"You only do it to remind your that there are even more things to love about me," he said cheekily.

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes.

Sam stuck his tongue out at her before grabbing the remote to press play. He had decided on the first movie for them to watch which ended up being Jurassic Park. Mercedes had complained that it wasn't a suitable movie for the babies to be watching but Sam had argued that they need to be trained young. As the movie had went on Sam was cackling while inhaling popcorn. Aurora seemed to be just as enthused as her father because every time laughed he would squeeze her or nuzzle her to steam a similar response. Mercedes on the other hand was terrified of the prehistoric creatures on the scream and took to burying her head in Sam's shoulder during any of the scary parts. As usual Isaiah remained phased by the scene playing before him and even started to doze off.

"Here comes the good part! Mercedes look, look he's going to get eaten off the toilet!" Sam chimed as popcorn flew on his mouth, a few pieces landing in Aurora's hair, "Sorry baby girl."

"Sam…I can't watch this anymore…" Mercedes whined

"What? WHY! It's getting good! It's almost over babe. You can do this. Look Izzy is already conked out. Our kids are brave, you can be brave too," he said

"Sammy…OH MY GOD!" she squealed turning her head away.

Aurora's laughter made Sam giggle, "Oh come on even Aura thinks this is hilarious!"

Mercedes groaned, "That's because she's been corrupted…"

"Hey I have a question…" he said letting his voice trail.

"Yes?" she asked unsure of what to expect.

His tongue poked out for a moment as he tried to process his thought, "What would you say to going to a parenting group with me?"

Mercedes shifted to look at him, "Like couples therapy?"

"No," he snorted, "A group where there are other people like us. You know, young parents with kids?"

"Oh!" she thought over his question, "Why do you want to go to a group?"

"Well…I thought it could be something you, me and the babies could do. We'd also be socializing the kids so they could have friends and let's face it…Puck's our only friend."

"I see your point"

"Yeah…so anyways! I signed us up for this group, but I wasn't sure if you'd be able to come because of your schedule so I uh…put down single parent…" his gaze shifted to Aurora.

Mercedes frowned, "Aw… Sammy… I'm sorry baby. I understand why you put it down. Don't worry I'll make it to the meeting."

"You will?" he asked surprised

"Yeah… I think it could be fun. I could use some friends with kids because ever since I came back a lot of people haven't really been talking to me much. I mean who'd blame them? Who wants to hangout with someone that can't come and go as they please at the drop of a hat? Plus I think the babies make some of them uncomfortable so…"

"What about at work? How is that?"

"I don't talk to anyone there either. They blow me off because of Travis. I think they're envious he decided to take me on as a solo artist while they're still backup singers."

Sam nodded, "I see… well don't worry honey, we will get some new friends so we won't be losers," he laughed, "On the bright side we can get the kids to have playdates with others."

"Great! When is the meeting?"

"Tomorrow at 5…"

"5?" she paused, "Well I can go into the studio early tomorrow and get what I have to get done and be there. Besides I want to talk to Travis anyways so I'll just show up early."

Sam's brow tensed, "What are you talking to him about?"

"About what you and Puck said. I just want to clear the air and make things clear with him incase what you guys have been saying is true."

"I see…well for his sake he better not be feeling anything but your voice," he said sternly

She smiled, "The only person feeling anything on me is you."

When the movie was over Sam had managed to spill popcorn all over the place. He made a mental note to clean every surface of the apartment to makeup for scaring Mercedes. He looked over at her and saw the wild look in her eyes and frowned. Sam felt bad because he hadn't realized just how terrified she was. Outstretching his hand he touched her face and kissed her, "You pick the next move," he whispered. She got up passed off a sleepy Isaiah to Sam as she went to go look through the stack of movies. Wanting to lighten the mood she settled on The Lorax feeling it was more suitable for her and the babies. She happily sat back down neck to Sam and laid her head on his lap. He smiled to himself as he shifted trying to hold babies at the same time. Mercedes noticed his struggle and reached up for Isaiah. Since the little boy was in sleep mode she figured he could relax on her chest while she relaxed on Sam.

"I have become the family cushion," he said suddenly.

Mercedes snorted, "Hush you! We think Daddy is extra comfy so we're taking advantage of it," she said.

"Take advantage all you want," he smiled, "Wouldn't trade my position in for the world."

"Mmm…."

"So what movie did you pick?"

"The Lorax"

"The Lorax? Really babe…"

"What?" she pouted, "Jurassic Park scared me so I wanted something light and happy to make me feel better."

"Well if it makes you feel better I'll sit through it with you."

In all honesty Sam didn't care what they were watching as long as they were together. Too long had it been since they had just been able to sit around the apartment and enjoy each other's time, especially with the babies. Silently he wished that Puck had been here to take a picture of them all huddled together enjoying this kid's movie. He made a mental note to talk to Mercedes about getting family pictures taken to hang up in here. The sound of snoring tore him from his thoughts as he glanced down and laughed. Isaiah's chubby cheek was smashed against his mothers chest, binky half hanging out. Mercedes' face mimicked his as she too had fallen asleep.

"Well looks like it's just you and me," he said sweetly soothing his daughter hair as they went back to watching The Lorax.

* * *

Mercedes had came to the studio earlier than she was scheduled for. When she got to the door she was greeted by two young ladies creeping out of the room sizing her up. She turned her nose up at them and entered the room. Travis sat lounging on the couch listening to music playing. It was her track that she had recorded a few weeks ago. Smiling she approached him peering down.

"Hey beautiful, you like what you're hearing?" he asked looking up at her with a smile.

She nodded, "It sounds amazing"

"It is amazing. It's all you baby. This album is going to be off the chain and you my dear are making this happen."

"Well I couldn't have done it without you…"

He turned around and rested his hand on his chin, "We make a good team."

"Yes we do."

"Sit, what brings you in so early?"

She sucked in her breath and sat down, "Well…I wanted to talk to you about something…"

He tilted his head, "About what? Are you ok? You're not sick or anything are you?"

"No…" she smiled, "I um…well Sam has some concerns."

Travis's face stiffened, "Sam has concerns? About what? Does he not like the choice of music I selected for you?"

"No it's not that…"

"Then what is it?"

She laughed nervously, "Well it's really funny. He thinks you have a thing for me that goes beyond professionalism."

"Uh huh…and why does Sam think this?"

She shrugged, "He said he just noticed your demeanor and that he didn't like the way you spoke or acted towards me."

"And how do you feel about this?"

"Well…" she started, "I know you're just being friendly but I'd really appreciate it if you held back with being so friendly towards me."

Travis pursed his lips, "I see…and why would I do that? You're my client."

"Well I just said it makes me uncomfortable."

"No you said it makes Sam uncomfortable."

"What makes Sam uncomfortable makes me uncomfortable. This maybe my job but he and I have a family together. I don't want anything coming between that," she said staring into his eyes.

He arched an eyebrow at her, "Well I think Sam should mind his damn business and worry about keeping those kids cared for. What you and I do is our business! NOT his!"

"Sam is my boyfriend and if he doesn't like something I am going to address it! I don't see the problem here!"

"The problem here Mercedes is that another man is trying to tell me how to run my damn business and my clients."

Mercedes' was starting to get angry, "No one is trying to tell you how to run anything! All I'm asking is for you to cool your advances!"

"What advances? This?" he said slyly placing his hand on her leg leaning forward, "I own you Mercedes. I can do whatever I want with you…" he pressed

She pushed him away from her, "Don't touch me! You don't own shit Travis! I am not a piece of fucking property."

"According to your contract you are! What I say goes and what I want is what I'm going to get and I want you!"

A shocked expression crossed her face, "Never…you can't have me."

"Oh I can and I will otherwise you're out of a job!"

Mercedes grabbed her things and stood up angrily as she stomped off towards the door, "I don't need you!" she spat.

Travis laughed, "Oh but you do. Because you see without me you have no career, no money, nothing," he said darkly.

She froze at the door, her hand still on the handle, "Bullshit! I'm talented enough that I can do anything," she said with confidence.

"Oh really now? And how do you suppose you're going to do that? You're a teenage mother with two kids and an idiot high school drop out for a boyfriend. You think anyone's going to look twice at you and give you a chance?" he stood up and started walking towards her, "You think you're so bad that you can just walk right out of here and someone will scoop you up because you're just oh so talented? News flash Mercedes! You're in LA! There's thousands of you singing their shoulda, coulda, woulda's on the street everyday hoping they can be where you are now. Getting the chances you have been given."

She closed her eyes, "I don't need you…I can make it on my own."

"Is that a smart thing to do? Where are you going to get the money to take care of that little family you got? Working at Starbucks isn't going to buy all those diapers. I doubt Sam is rolling in the dough so good luck with that," he leaned and snatched the door handle from her to open it, "Go on. Go ahead and leave," he taunted, "Oh and Mercedes? Make sure that when you do get that new contract you change your name. Because as soon as you walk out that door I will make sure every connection I have will know not to hire you. I mean why would they hire someone that is difficult to work with? All it takes is one phone call and you're done in this town…"

She felt the tears well up in her eyes as she stepped into the doorway. Mercedes bit her lip as she tried to keep her composure but his words were running through her head. _'He's right you can't leave. You took a big chance coming here by yourself and now you have your family to think of. It's not just you anymore Mercedes…But Sam…Sam will understand,'_ her mind battled inside her head. She felt defeated, like she had been backed into a corner with no weapons but her fist and words to defend herself. Sighing she turned back around slowly. Travis gave her a smug grin before slamming the door shut. She flinched at the loud sound and stared at the floor.

"That's what I thought," he said staring at her.

"I'm not staying for me; I'm staying for my family."

"Then you better get to work because after this little stint you just pulled because the only family you're going to be spending time with is me."

Mercedes mouth dropped, "You can't do that!"

He stepped towards her, "What are you going to do about? I already told you and don't make me tell you again," he crossed his arms, "Now apologize to me."

"No"

"Mercedes…"

"I said no! I will not apologize for you threatening and bullying me into staying here!"

He cupped her face, "You will apologize or not only will I ruin your career, I'll ruin that little life you're trying to build up. Kids will get hungry, boyfriends will become impatient. I'll send you right back to that little shit town you came from with nothing but your pride. Now apologize…"

Her eyes started to water, "I'm sorry…" she sniffed

He smiled letting go of her face, "Good girl, now come on sweetheart we have an album to work on," he said grabbing her hand gently.

"Ok…"

Travis carelessly slung an around her shoulder, "I don't know why you had to make me get so angry. I'm really not a bad person. You just made me mad. You're not going to make me mad again are you?" he asked softly.

"No…"

"Good…" he smiled, "Oh and Mercedes?"

"…Yes?" she said warily

"If you mention any of this to Sam or your 'brother' in any way I will see to it that all I just said will become a reality. You will do as I say because I am your producer and now your manager. Do you understand me?"

She blinked looking down at the floor, "Yes…"

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

She slowly lifted her head up, "Yes"

"Good, now come on. After we're done working on this track I'm taking you out to dinner. I want you to meet some people."

"But Sam and I have parenting class tonight."

"I'm sure he'll manage"

She started to cry, "I need to be there! This is important to us."

"Tough shit Mercedes. In this business you have to make some sacrifices."

"I…" he cut her off

"Are you trying to make me angry again?" he asked sternly glaring at her.

"No…dinner is fine."

"Wonderful, I'll buy you a new dress for tonight," he said delighted, "After dinner is over you can go home, ok?"

"Ok…"

"See, if I wasn't so nice I would keep you here all night. But here I am being generous towards you."

"Thank you," she said bitterly

* * *

Sam stood in front of the YMCA rocking the double travel system back and forth to keep the babies sleeping. It was past five o'clock and Mercedes still hadn't shown. He tried calling her again for the 3rd time but still got her voicemail. He was now growing impatient and frustrated with her. Opening up his messaging app he decided to text her as a last try.

**Sam**: Where r u?

**Sam**: I've been waiting outside 4 awhile now. R u still coming?

**Cedes**: …Sorry Sammy. This session is going on longer than I had expected.

**Sam**: So ur not coming at all? Y haven't u been answering my calls?

**Cedes**: I'm sorry sweetie. It's work stuff. You understand right?

**Sam**: Right… well I'll c u home.

**Cedes**: Yeah...about that. I won't be home until later.

**Sam**: WAT!?

**Cedes**: I have a business dinner to go to that Travis just reminded me about. I must have forgotten with everything that's been going on with us. You're going to have to cook tonight.

**Sam**: I have work tonight. What time r u getting back?

**Cedes**: I don't know…

**Sam**: MERCEDES! I need to be at work tonight. I can't miss it! Be home by 10!

**Cedes**: I can't promise that Sammy…I'm sorry

**Sam**: Shit…I'll c if Puck can take the kids for tonight.

**Cedes**: I'm sorry

**Sam**: Whatever…I can't expect u 2 get out of work when it could further ur career. I'll see u whenever you get home.

Cursing under his breath he sent Puck a quick text hoping his friend could help him out. Much to Sam's liking Puck had a date tonight and couldn't babysit. "Fuck!" he said aloud but then scowled when he realized he just cursed in front of his children. Feeling aggravated he tried to calm himself down before entering the building. Sam dreaded having to call out of work at last minute. It meant that he would be missing out on a paycheck and his boss was going to have his ass. _'Fucking Travis…'_ he thought to himself as he angrily opened the door and dragged the travel system inside. Pushing it along he located the room where the meeting was being held. He counted before stepping inside. A small group of teens sat around as they stared at him curiously. The sound of kids screaming excitedly and running about could be heard as he looked over the room.

"Are you Sam Evans?" an older woman called.

Sam snapped out of his thoughts, "Yes…I'm Sam…" he said feeling nervous.

"Don't be shy sweetie. I'm Molly, the coordinator for this group. Please come in and have a seat," she said warmly.

Sam nodded in agreement as he slowly pushed the travel system over to where there was an empty seat. He sat down before turning his attention to the babies to check to make sure they were still sleeping. A few of the girls in the group had gotten up to peer around him. Sam nervously kept his gaze fixated of his kids before turning around.

"Aw…they're so cute!" a brunette squealed, "I remember when Patrick was little like that!"

"You have twins…bless you. My Amelia is a handful by herself," a red head said.

"Thanks…I get by. They're good babies," he said quickly.

The two women sat back down as Molly glanced at her clipboard, "So Sam, welcome to the group. Since you're new everyone is going to tell you their and their child's name. When they're done please tell us a little about yourself, ok?"

"Ok" Sam said

The red head from a moment ago turned to him, "I'm Sarah. I'm 18 and my daughter's name is Amelia. She's going to be 3 this year."

"I'm Anna. I already told you my son's name is Patrick. Oh and I'm 16"

"My names Dominique, I'm 19 and my son's name is Xavier. He's going to be 2 next month."

"I'm August and this is my girlfriend Roxanne. I'm 24 and she's 17. We have a 3 year old named Luna and we're currently pregnant with our second kid."

"My names Emanuel, I'm a single dad to Marcus whose going to be 1. I'm 18"

"Hi I'm Alexis! I'm 16 and I just had my first baby Hayden."

"I guess that leaves me last…I'm Ebony and I have a 5 month old daughter named Jewel."

Sam smiled briefly, "Nice to meet you all," he said quietly.

Molly looked at him curiously, "It's your turn Sam. Don't be shy"

Sam clenched his jaw for a moment wishing that Mercedes was here with him, "Well you already know my name is Sam, Sam Evans. I'm 17, going to be 18 in May. My girlfriend Mercedes and I have two twins. A boy named Isaiah and a girl named Aurora, they're almost 6 months old. They were born prematurely so we had to deal with that for awhile…" his voice trailed.

Roxanne frowned, "Aw…I'm sorry Sam. Luna was born a few months early too. We know how tough that must have been on you and your girlfriend."

"Where is your girlfriend?" Alexis asked excitedly

"Oh um…she had to work and couldn't make it," he paused, "She's a very busy person you see. She just got signed by a record company so she's working on her first album."

"Oh wow, a singer. That must be amazing huh?" Molly said

"Yeah… it's great."

"You don't seem happy about it Sam."

He shrugged, "It's not that I'm not. It's just I wish I got to spend more time with her. It's usually just me and the babies…"

Dominique shook her head, "I know that feeling. Of course two years later for me I'm a single mother so it was more than just a feeling."

"Cut him some slack Dom. He's new to parenting and got two kids in one shot. They just need to find their rhythm," Emmanuel butted in.

Sam shifted in his seat, "Well that's not the same for us, but thank you for sharing."

"It doesn't always seem like it until it happens. Once you start feeling like you're a single parent you pretty much become one, they notice and then leave. They figure you've got it all under control so why stay when it's just a burden on them," Dominique added

Sam pursed his lips, "Like I said she's a busy person-" his response was caught short when he heard fussing. He immediately knew it was Aurora because Isaiah tended to sleep through everything. Reaching in he picked her up and held her to her chest, "You're ok…" he said softly.

"Oh my goodness! She is so beautiful!" Alexis shrieked moving her seat closer to Sam, "Sometimes I wish I had a little girl so I could dress her up."

"Look at all that hair!" Roxanne said, "Can I touch her?" she asked.

Sam's nerves eased up a little, "Sure…she's really good with people."

"I hope you're taking care of your daughter's hair," Ebony asked looking at Aurora in amusement.

"Well…it's just growing. She was born with a lot of hair like her mom."

"Mmm hmm…"

"And what does your girlfriend look like?" Dominique questioned looking from him to the baby.

Sam stared at the woman across from him, "My kids are mixed if that's what you want to know," he said flatly.

Dominique's eyes lit up before sizing him, "Well bonus points for you. But Eb's right what about your little girl's hair. You can't have yourself looking all nice and clean while your baby looks a mess."

Sam folded his arms, "Excuse me?"

"Hair care Sam, hair care," Ebony said patting his shoulder, "You might want to read up on it."

"I can do my child's hair just fine. It looks fine the way it is."

"No it doesn't. You need to comb it and moisturizer her hair."

Emmanuel shot a dirty look at Dominique, "What the sass over there is trying to say homie is that you should look into maintaining her hair. She's got different hair than you dude. Thankfully I have a son so all I gotta do is get him a hair cut. Your little Princess here should look like one. From one dad to another," he said softly.

"I brush her hair everyday. I mean it's not like I do much with mine."

"Leave Sam alone, he can keep his kids hair however he chooses," Anna said defensively.

"Look I'm not trying to be mean or anything but you need to learn. Just because you don't do anything with your hair doesn't mean nothing has to be done with hers. You're white Sam, you need to know how to do your baby's hair."

"That's what she has a mother for," Alexis stated.

Ebony rolled her eyes, "Why should his girlfriend get to do her hair?"

"Because that's what mothers do!"

Roxanne continued to cuddle Aurora, "She's just a baby. She really doesn't need to have her hair look any certain way. Let her be. When she wants to get her hair done I'm sure she'll ask about it."

"Are ya'll insane?" Dominique spat, "Apparently you all must be from lala land where you think it's ok to have your child run around like a hot mess!"

"I'm not liking your attitude," Sam said sternly

"Why? Because I'm telling the truth? How does it look when your two mixed kids look unruly and unkempt but their white father looks like he stepped out of ? That's not going to fly."

Molly cleared her throat, "Ok, enough! This group is supposed to be about discussion. Not attacking anyone. What everyone does in their own home is on them. We can only offer friendly advice," she said shooting a glance at Dominique, "And positive thoughts."

Roxanne handed Aurora back to Sam as he let out a deep frustrated sigh. He continued to silently wish and pray that Mercedes would waltz through the door saying that she cancelled everything to be there with him. After 10 minutes of wishing nothing had happened. The group continued on as each of them talked about things that were going on at home. Sam mostly listened to their stories but didn't offer much advice. The one good thing about this group was that there were two other men there beside himself. Emmanuel had ended up switching seats to sit near Sam and talk about the upcoming football game on TV. From then on the heat he was feeling had started to die down and he started to become more comfortable. So far the group was very nice, minus Dominique's snarky remarks towards him. Sam had made a mental note to try and avoid her at all cost. He hoped that his next visit he'd have Mercedes with him in case she got on his case again. The bonus for the evening was that the twins had their first playdate with Alexis's daughter Hayden and Emmanuel's son Marcus at the park this weekend.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. This past month has been super busy for me. Travis...such a snake. Review away! Let me know what you think.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Note: Finally an update! RPing takes out a lot of time amongst life and working. I think I must have rewritten this chapter twice because I wanted to break it up more for future ones. Thanks for waiting patiently for an update! As always reviews are much appreciated and I enjoy reading everyone's opinions on things. **

* * *

Mercedes lied awake in bed staring at the sun shining into the window. The past few weeks had been draining on her energy. Between trying to keep up with her class work, the babies, Sam and now Travis's constant demands was taking a toll on her. She shifted her gaze to the left side of the bed. Sam lay snoring lightly on his back. His muscular arm slung over his face, blocking out the sun. She smiled at how adorable he looked with the croaked grin on his face. He was her everything and despite all the drama they had going on between them he still managed to fight for them. She knew she had to tell him somehow, _eventually_, about the shady dealings going on at work. That conversation was going to be something that needed to be handled carefully. Mercedes was afraid of the outcome or what Sam might do. _'Angry wouldn't probably cover what he would do…'_ her mind tried to process as it came up with various scenarios ranging from Sam ending up in jail, a fight or murder being the cause. She was disappointed in herself over what had transpired. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd end up in a situation like this. It was something that she would see on TV as a storyplot for those in desperate need to seek fame. Yet here she was being controlled by her now manager and producer, but for what exactly? He hasn't made a pass at her so it couldn't be for sex. Sam didn't like him so maybe it was a masculine thing? So far other than work he's only requested her for dinner dates in the name of business and some upcoming promotional stuff. "It could be worse…" she said quietly to herself. Feeling an arm slide across her waist she knew Sam was awake.

"What could be worse?" he mumbled half awake tugging on her hip.

She tensed up, "Oh I was thinking about finals and such for school," she lied

Sam buried his head into her side, "Mmm hmm, that's nice," he spoke before snoring again

She laughed to herself at his sudden lack of awareness. Her eyes moved around the apartment. As the babies grew their space got tighter and tighter. She was convinced that their apartment was soon going to look like an episode of Hoarders from all the stuff in it. They really needed a bigger place but to get that place they needed more money. She scowled at the idea of how long she could keep this charade up with Travis just so they wouldn't have to struggle. Her thoughts we broken when she felt Sam's hand lazily creep up her shirt and tug on her breast. She looked down at him, _'Even in his sleep he's still horny.'_ Looking down at his body her eyes became amused at the pitched tent under the blankets. She sat up slowly as his arm dropped down to the bed. Licking her lips she carefully hovered over him until she was straddling him. Sam's body reacted shifting against hers. She smiled devilishly as she braced her small hands against his firm chest. Deciding to wake him up she grinded her heat against his shaft. Her eyes focused on him waiting for a reaction as she paid close attention to his breathing and movements. Suddenly he let out a low moan from her actions. "Sammy," she cooed quietly but all she got was a moan from him. She bent her head down planting kisses on his chest as her body continued its motion. She was wet and all the friction was causing her nipples to harden and become more aroused. Aligning her center with the head she slid down on him arching her back as he filled her. Her breath hitched for a moment as she lay their adjusting to him before slowly rocking her hips. Sam's chest rose and fell as his breathing became labored. Slowly opening his eyes and focusing he was met with a seductive look on Mercedes face. "Hmm?" he mumbled before letting out a groan as he realized what she was doing. His hands connected with her waist guiding her motions a little faster. He thrust up to meet her pace before arching against the bed.

"Good morning," he moaned before biting his lip.

She sat up and started to bounce harder against him. Running her fingers under her night shirt she started to tug on her nipples panting his name. His toes curled as he continued to pound into her heat, his hands moving from her hips top tug on the offensive material on her upper body. Taking the hint she pulled her shirt off and leaned down onto him again. Sam cupped her ass in his hands as they found a rhythm to move too. He leaned up slightly taking a breast into his mouth teasing her nipple with his teeth. Mercedes let out a small cry at her sensitive flesh being bitten. Tangling her hand into Sam's hair she held his head against her chest.

"Sammy…" she breathed, "Harder"

Sam bit a little more as he sucked, "You taste so good baby," he said in between breaths

Releasing her from his mouth he started sucking against her throat before reaching her neck. He dug his fingers into her rounded ass as he pumped harder into her, feeling his release approach slowly. She was close and could feel it building up inside of her as her she rapidly took all of him in her. He slipped his hand in between their bodies finding her peaked clit. He slowly rolled it between his fingers watching the expression on Mercedes face change. Increasing the pressure he watched as her face scrunched up in frustration as he felt her walls start to grip him tighter, "Make me cum," he begged wanting her orgasm to trigger his. She moved against him faster as he continued to play with her nerves. Feeling her release take over she dug her fingers into his chest and slammed her face in the pillow to muffle her cries of his name. As soon as she slammed down on him, her walls pulsating, his eyes rolled back as he shot his load into her. They both clung to each other as they rode out their orgasm. Resting his head back against the pillow he panted heavily before kissing her cheek. Her hair had been all over the place and he was certain his state didn't look any better. Mercedes came up for air before kissing him then laying her head on his chest.

"That was some wake up call," he panted

"Hmmm…it was," she replied

He stretched his arms to reach for the covers before covering their joined bodies, "I could get used to these," he smiled

She giggled, "We'll see," she rolled her head from side to side, "I am going to be so sore in a little bit."

"Sorry," he apologized, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

She lifted her head to meet his gaze with a saddened expression, "I'm sorry… I have to go into the studio for a little bit today."

"Oh"

She bit her lip, "Sam…"

He brought his hand up to the back of her head, "Its ok I'm not mad. I understand its work. Really don't be upset about it," he reassured running his fingers through her hair.

"It's not that it's…" she started resting her chin on his chest before sighing, "What are you doing today?"

His face perked up, "Today is the babies playdate with some of the people I met at the meeting. We finally found a day that worked well for everyone."

She averted her eyes, "Oh… that sounds so great. I'm really sorry Sammy that I haven't gone to a meeting yet," she replied, her voice dripping with sadness.

"I guess we just got bad luck with timing," he stated

"Or something like that"

He looked at her with concern, "Are you ok baby? You look really upset. I know you really wanted to go to the meetings. Believe me I want you there but I understand you're busy."

"It's not that Sam, it's…everything is moving so fast and I feel like I'm missing out on so much…" she started, "Maybe I should give up my dream of being a singer and just focus on school and you guys. Therefore I can be home more and actually be a girlfriend and a mother."

Sam frowned, "But that's your dream baby! It's the whole reason why we're out here is so that this opportunity you have been given will open so many doors for you."

"I feel more like the doors are hitting me on the way out then actually leading somewhere."

"Don't think like that. Everybody has to start from somewhere and they have to struggle to get where they want to be. Just keep at it honey."

"But I don't want to be this mysterious person in our family," she paused, "What if the babies forget what I look like?"

He chuckled, "Honey I don't think they could"

"You don't know that! They see you far more than me. Hell I think Puck might see them more than me."

"Well maybe you can talk to Travis about shortening your hours," he said flatly

She bit her lip, "We talked…and…if I draw this out the longer it's going to take to launch my album," she lied

Mercedes felt like crap. Here she was trying to find some way around telling him and hoping he'd catch on. Instead he was being nothing but supportive and encouraging her to stay in the rut she was now in. Before she could speak another word the soft whimpers of one of her children crying caught their attention. She looked at Sam with an apologetic look as he laughed lightly.

"Looks like we woke Aura up," he said

Frowning to herself she shifted off of him so he could get up. Sam rose from the bed scratching his head as he stretched in front of the window. Her eyes fell on the sight of his ass as he walked away from the bed. When he was out of her field of vision she flopped back against the bed staring up at the ceiling. Mercedes had been lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Sam had returned with their very wide awake daughter. Pulling the covers around herself she sat up and gently touched the cooing baby. Sam bent down and nuzzled his face against Aurora's causing the baby to squeal. She had a very infectious laugh similar to her mother's that could make even the sourest person laugh. Sam pulled the covers over his lap before leaning up against the headboard.

"I love that her personality is showing more and more," he stated marveling at the little girl, "She's all you."

Mercedes shook her head, "Hey mama!" she said in a baby voice, "No she's all you Sammy. Look at her face. That's got Sam Evans written all over it, right down to the hair. She's a funny baby so she completely has your personality."

"I beg to differ, she has attitude. The other day I was being a little lazy at feeding her and she was not thrilled by me. She kept giving me judging faces every time I went to feed her."

"Aww… hey don't mess with her meal time."

He glared at her, "I was sleepy. Daddy was very tired but clearly Aura was not trying to cut him any slack," he spoke looking at her.

Sam leaned over and placed Aurora between them. He had been trying to get her to practice sitting up for longer than a few minutes. She pouted puffing out her chubby cheeks at him as if stating she was once again unenthused by her father's assistance. The now grumpy looking baby sat still staring at him before turning her attention to her mother.

"My big girl!" Mercedes squealed

Aurora was delighted by her mother's excitement that she tried to reach out. Not being able to fully support her body she fell over. Mercedes had to hold back from laughing at how adorable her attempt was. Sam bit his lip trying to contain his own laughter as Aurora started to tear up. "Aww…" he said sympathetically picking her up and patting her back as he cuddled. The piercing sound of her cry made the both of them wince. He rubbed the back of her head, his fingers lightly playing with her curls as her crying turned into small hiccups.

"Poor sweetheart, she was really trying," Sam said

"Yeah, but it was a good try Mama," Mercedes said proudly touching the little girl's hand.

Sam sighed as she calmed down, "She gets so frustrated easily sometimes. Most of the time she's a good trooper about this. I guess she really wanted to impress mommy," he spoke pulling the baby away from him slightly, "Is that what you were doing? Trying to show off the big girl skills you were learning?"

Mercedes frowned, "I don't want her to grow up. Neither of them. They have to stay my babies forever," she confessed

"Honey they have to grow up at some point."

"No. I want them to stay as little and innocent as possible until I'm ready for them to grow up."

Sam smiled, "We can always have more babies in the future for you to smother."

"No. It's not the same Sam," she sighed, "I feel like I'm missing out on things."

"You really haven't missed much baby."

"Oh really?" Mercedes sat up and crossed her arms, "I missed out on the both of them rolling over for the first time. Now they're learning to sit up and possibly walk. I'm missing their first playdate where they make friends. What else is next? Am I going to come home one day and find out they're leaving for college?" she looked away from him as the tears welled up in her eyes.

Sam laid Aurora on the bed before leaning over to pull Mercedes near. The look on her face showed every emotion she was feeling. He knew that she was probably feeling left out because of work and school. _'It must be really hard on her,'_ his mind said as rubbed her back. He wished sometimes that she wasn't so busy and that she would have more time to spend with them. However it wasn't so. Instead he would spend some nights thinking the world was against them and that all these coincidences were a sign of much worse to come. _'It's silly. This is just life and growing up. You guys couldn't stay kids forever,'_ he told himself as he looked at her with an exasperated look on his face. She shifted her eyes to make eye contact.

"I'm sorry if I'm over reacting Sammy. I don't mean too… it's just I'm their mother and I don't feel like it sometimes. I have days where I feel like I'm a stranger to them. Then you go on and on about all the amazing things you do with them when I'm not there and I get depressed," she confessed looking back down, "Then I start to think what if you feel like you're in this alone? What's to stop you from taking that feeling and making it a reality? I don't want to lose you or the babies! Sometimes I wonder if I can truly give up my dream of being a singer. It's not that important right? I can do other things…yes, I'm sure I'm just as good at something else as I am at being an entertainer."

Sam sucked in his breath, "Can I talk now?" he asked softly as she nodded to him, "You know as much as anyone that I support whatever it is you want to do. If you really want to stop chasing your dream and trade it in for a family life I'll support. However don't do it because you feel like you'll be making my life easier. Do it because that's what your heart and mind is telling you. As for how I feel…"

She placed her hand over his, "Tell me the truth"

He sighed looking at her warily, "I do sometimes feel like I'm alone because I am. But that's not your fault. You came to LA to do you and live your life. I messed up your plans by being an idiot and forgetting the condom. Under no circumstances do I not love my children. I love them so much but I know us, this," he said motioning around the room, "Is a lot on you and I try very hard to make it less stressful. So yeah that means I have lonely nights with the babies or I'm the one tending too them every chance I get. You need the exposure to succeed and without putting yourself out there at all times it isn't going to magically happen. Things will get better and at the end of the day we will come out of it stronger. I have faith in us. But right now things are tough and it's just only the beginning. If we hang in the towel on every little thing that stands in our way we'll never make it."

She nodded, "But it's not like there's an obstacle standing in the way. This is our family! I get what you're saying but do you really expect me to just march on knowing that the three of you are living a separate life without me? I don't like this at all," she pouted

"Quit the music business then."

She closed her eyes and let her shoulder's sag while taking in his words. Did she really want to do this? Maybe should could find another way around it, _'No Travis said he'd make sure he's run your name in the ground before you even got a chance to step foot in someone's off,'_ she thought. Hearing a soft whimper caused her to snack her eyes open. Sam went reaching for Aurora who had not been thrilled by the lack of parental attention. Feeling territorial she quickly leaned over blocking him so she could cuddle her daughter closer. She buried her face into Aurora's blonde curls, cradling her head as she stared ahead lost in thought. Sam didn't bother to get an attitude with her reaction. Instead he just watched her trying to figure out what was going on in her head. He stretched his hand over to them and started to play softly with Aurora's chubby arm. The little girl was adorable. In his eyes she was the most beautiful and cutest chubby baby girl he'd ever seen. Long gone are the days when she and her brother could fit in the palm of his hand, hooked up to tubes, struggling to live. Those painful nights when she would make that horrible cry. The heartbreak they both felt having to leave them in the hospital day after day for months on end. She had more of a chance at survival that Isaiah did. Thinking of his son his eyes shifted towards the room. Suddenly feeling panicky Sam convinced himself he was being too quiet for his liking. Pushing the covers aside he got up and stumbled over to the bassinet. He was surprised to find his little boy wide awake and staring up at him, "Come here you. Papa wants some love," he cooed rubbing the baby's belly. To Sam's surprised he actually smiled. "Did you just smile for me?" he asked excitedly. Between him and his sister he was the least expressive Evans baby. While Aurora was full of emotions and personality, Isaiah remained a little stunted in that department. He had read that boys develop slower than girls and him not being an overly happy person could be his personality. That information didn't sit well with neither of them, especially Sam who was a bubbly person, as Mercedes and Aurora. Picking up the baby he planted kisses over his face. Walking back to the bed he stood at the foot of it looking at Mercedes.

"He smiled!" he exclaimed

Mercedes shifted her eyes, "He what?" she asked before looking down at his naked waist. Instinctively she turned Aurora so she was facing the other direction.

"Izzy smiled when I touched him. You know how he never likes to really be bothered or seem like he's interested in what people are doing. He smiled!" Sam rocked happily on the balls of his feet.

She got a sparkly look in her eye, "That's amazing. Oh…oh…this means he's growing more," she said with a shaky voice.

Sam sat down on the bed, "Hey, don't cry," he said softly, "Izzy tell Mama she shouldn't cry. That you smiling is a good thing but that doesn't mean you're growing up without her," he spoke to the baby before extending him out towards Mercedes and wiggling him, "See…he agrees!"

"Oh Sammy…"

He pulled Isaiah back to him, "Baby in honesty if you really want to quit just think it over. You don't have to make a decision right now. It's not like you're on a deadline and this offer will expire if you don't say something. Just take your time with it because it's a really big decision."

She nodded looking at him, "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think I'm gonna stay home today. I really would like to meet these people and be here for the babies playdate. It's more important. Laying down a track can wait."

Sam looked at her surprised, "Are you sure honey?"

She looked him the eyes, "Yes"

* * *

The park had been a little crowded today. Considering how nice the weather was every parent must have wanted to take advantage of that. Mercedes decided she was going to wear a sundress for today because it was less professional looking and made her relax more. She and Sam had spent most of the morning making snacks and sandwiches together for their picnic playdate. Sam sat happily on the blanket with Aurora sitting up in between his legs. Reaching for a bottle out of the diaper bag he pulled the little girl back some so she was resting against him as he stuck the bottle in her mouth, angling it as she drank.

"Hola amigo!" he heard a raspy voice say.

Sam looked up and did a short wave, "Hey Emmanuel!"

Emmanuel had his son on his hip will carrying a large bag in his hand. Setting it down on the blanket he put Marcus down who looked like he was ready to take off, "Sientense por favor mijo," he said sternly to the little boy who pouted. Marcus looked around curiously until his eyes landed on Mercedes and Isaiah, "Baby!" he squealed before scooting over to her. Mercedes was taken back by the sudden affections she was receiving from the unknown little boy. Marcus placed his hands on her thigh so he could sit up on his knees and stare at Isaiah who was giving him a blank expression.

"I apologize Miss my son is nosy," Emmanuel said, "Sam where's your manners homes?"

Sam was in such a daze, "I'm sorry," he laughed out, "Mercedes this is Emmanuel and Marcus. This is my Mercedes I've been talking about."

Emmanuel sat down, "Even prettier than the pictures. My little boy is 2 so forgive him. He's a little hyper," he commented before extending his hand.

"It's alright," she laughed accepting his hand, "He's so adorable."

"Thank you. Mijo! No toque el bebe!" he shouted as the little boy retreated from grabbing Isaiah, "He gets excited easily."

"Aww… Marcus? Do you want to hold Isaiah?" she asked

The little boy nodded up in down anxious, "Yes," was all he managed to say.

"Ok you come over here and sit up nice and tall. No slouching comprende?" she said trying to use what little Spanish she remembered from the beginning of High School.

Marcus sat up against her trying to follow her instructions carefully. His father watched him closely nervous that the little boy might accidentally hurt the baby. Mercedes was confident as she gently placed Isaiah in his arms, "Support his head," she said instructing. She placed her hand on the little boys back to give him extra support as he beamed at the baby. Marcus gently patted the little boys head as he continued to squeal with excitement.

"This is so cute," Sam said pulling out his phone to snap a picture.

Emmanuel shook his head, "Ey, now the true blessing would be if he could stay this innocent," he joked.

Sam laughed, "How's your day going?"

"It's going man. You know how it is. My moms' is just happy to be childfree for the day."

"She says it but she loves it I'm sure."

"She does but I'm pretty sure she'd like not having her son and grandson living with her while doing it. LA is expensive man without having to live in the malo areas, ya know?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I've been looking because living in a studio apartment with two kids is tight."

"I hear ya," he replied, "So Mercedes I hear you're a singer?"

Mercedes head shot up, "Me? Oh yes!" her voice sounding unaware of the conversation, "Sorry I was lost in thought. Yes I started out as a background singer but then I got offered to be signed to the label I was working at as a solo artist," she replied glancing at Sam briefly.

"That's amazing. So have you met any big named stars yet?"

"Just a few but no one worth getting excited over," she said unenthused.

Sam shook his head, "Oh come on babe it's not everyday you get to work with Alicia Keys or Katy Perry," he beamed

"Really?" Emmanuel asked amused

"Yeah man, it's so awesome! Her manager is also a producer so some of the tracks he's working on she did vocals for," he said with pride, "She's just being humble about it so I'm going to brag about it."

"Sam it's not like you haven't met any celebrities in your work either," Mercedes told.

His back stiffened for a moment, "That's different," he said trying to hide the nervousness in his voice, "Sets and actors are totally different than a singer. Meeting a musician whose music has touched you is more exciting to me. Working with actors can range from headache inducing to just an average person."

"Aren't singer's average people?"

"Yes but I'm not going to lie and say I won't shit a brick if I ever met like…Michael Jackson."

"Michael Jackson died though, sweetie."

"Precisely, but I'd still be excited to meet him!"

"You're so morbid"

"You love me"

"Unfortunately…"

"Is this a private conversation or can I join?" a light voice spoke suddenly.

Everyone had focused on the petite redhead as she stood next to her very brightly pink travel system. Emmanuel stood up, "Alexis!" he shouted before embracing the girl and then turning his attention to the system, "Hello Miss Hayden," he cooed at the baby. Alexis shook her head trying not to blush at his attentiveness towards her daughter. "Let me get that," he said taking the bags from her hand and setting them down.

"So you must be Mercedes," she said staring at the sundress wearing woman.

Mercedes looked startled at her boldness, "That's me and you're Alexis I take it?" she responded in the same tone.

Alexis put her hand on her hip and tapped her foot looking at Sam, "Sammy why didn't you tell me she was so pretty. I swear he is terrible at descriptions. Here I am thinking I'm meeting some average lady and to my surprise you are so adorable!"

Confusion had been written all over her face as she didn't know how to take Alexis's comment so instead she opted to stare at Sam for a moment, "Um…well they say pictures don't do people justice?"

Alexis walked around the blanket to sit near her, "Clearly," she said before reaching out to stroke Mercedes hair, "Your hair is so pretty," she gushed.

"Thank you?" she responded patting the girls hand lightly for her to stop touching her.

Shrugging her shoulders she smiled wildly looking at Sam and then at the babies, "Your children are so gorgeous. Izzy is my favorite. He's all frumpy and grumpy but that makes him even more lovable."

"Sammy, Izzy?" Mercedes asked in a curious tone towards Sam.

He shrugged, "People do call me Sammy and I call Isaiah Izzy."

"Do they really?"

Alexis could sense some tension and waved her hand in the air, "I'm sorry I'm a little more affectionate than most. It's a term of endearment."

Emmanuel had finally stopped fussing with Alexis's things before he sat down with the Hayden's carrier, "Look who's here to join the party!" he said

Mercedes' thoughts were broken at the sight of the redheaded baby, "Aww! I love her hair color!"

"Not too many natural gingers. I'm hoping she keeps the red and it doesn't turn blonde when she gets older," Alexis said

"Not too many natural blondes either," Sam joked causing everyone to laugh.

Alexis smiled, "I know! I'm still in awe that Aura's so blonde herself," she said sweetly petting the baby's head as she cooed at the younger girl.

Mercedes narrowed her eyes but quickly met Sam's stare, "So Alexis how old is your baby?" she asked putting on a fake smile.

"Oh! Hayden is only 2 months, almost 3."

"Aww she's a newborn that's so sweet. I remember when the twins were just born."

"Yeah I heard, I'm sorry you guys had a tough time."

"We pulled through"

"I see! Sammy here is a trooper. Him and Em are a riot at the meetings."

Mercedes glanced at him, "Is that so?"

"Oh yes. They're the only boys, well beside August but we don't count him because he's creepy," she explained scrunching up her face, "So these two are awesome. Dominique's usually riding Sammy's ass every chance she gets. I swear that girl has it in for you."

Sam laughed, "Whatever, she doesn't run my life. I appreciate her input from a black woman's perspective but it's really not needed unless I ask."

"Domonique?" Mercedes asked

Alexis lightly slapped her shoulder, "Oh that's right you have yet to attend a meeting so you don't who we're talking about."

Mercedes frowned looking out into the park, "I'm sorry about that."

Sam could sense her uneasiness, "Ally, how's school going?"

"Ugh! Oh my god! My teacher is such a bore. I'm still trying to get caught up after having Hayden."

"She's still in High School," Sam explained looking at Mercedes worriedly, "So my baby's working on her first album. She's been laying down tracks and in the studio most of the time. It's going to be amazing!" he smiled

Emmanuel handed Mercedes a plate, "New fan right here," he said

Mercedes blushed, "Oh you're too kind Emmanuel."

"Can you sing for us?" Alexis asked with sparkling eyes.

Mercedes looked around from everyone, "Oh I don't know…"

"Oh come on babe, just a small sample on what you've been working on?"

"Ok…"

Mercedes set down her plate and smoothed her dress nervously. All eyes were focused on her and suddenly she got the case of butterflies. Sam sat across from her smiling with confidence for her. "This is a song that I currently working on. I co-wrote this with my producer," she said. She closed her eyes for a moment building up the tune in her head. Humming to warm up her voice she opened her eyes to her awaiting audience.

_So much to believe in_

_We were lost in time  
Everything I needed  
I feel in your eyes  
Always thought of keeping  
Your heart next to mine  
But now that seems so far away  
Don't know how love could leave  
Without a trace  
Where do silent hearts go?_

As she continued to sing Sam started to feel something in his chest, _'When did she write this?'_ he wondered listening to the words carefully. Was she singing about him or was it just a general song? He couldn't quite pinpoint the inspiration behind it but in his gut he felt the song was about him. Shifting his eyes back and forth between Alexis and Emmanuel he looked at Mercedes as he bit his lip.

_Where does my heart beat now  
Where is the sound  
That only echoes through the night  
Where does my heart beat now  
I can't live without  
Without feeling it inside  
Where do all the lonely hearts go…_

When she finished everyone had been clapping with excitement, including on looking people in the park. She blushed at the attention she was receiving. A sudden rush of anxiety hit her when she saw the flustered look on Sam's face.

"Your voice is so beautiful," Alexis beamed

"That was muy bonita Mercedes," Emmanuel said

Sam nodded, "It was a beautiful song baby," he said quietly

She smiled, "Thanks, I um…wrote the song over a year ago when I first moved out here," she confessed making eye contact with Sam.

His shoulders slumped with relief, "Is it going to be your first release?"

"No I don't think so. I think we're going for a more uptempo song as the first release."

Alexis squealed before resting her head on Mercedes shoulder for a second, "Whatever you choose I'm sure it's going to sound great and be number one on itunes."

Mercedes glanced down at the girl with a soft expression, "One can only hope."

"So this means you're going to be on all the award shows and MTV right?" she asked

"You are a very excitedable person aren't you?" Mercedes asked

Alexis shrugged, "Eh, life's too short to be angry all the time. YOLO!" she shouted before everyone groaned, "Haters."

The group laughed as they went about the rest of the picnic. Sam was happy that everyone had taken to Mercedes well and everyone was getting along. He at one point ended up getting spit up on him from Isaiah who decided he was going to try and eat more than he was capable of. Emmanuel spent most of the time on and off staring at Alexis that everyone had taken notice to but Alexis herself. She was too busy trying to talk Mercedes head off and make her her best friend by the end of the day. Mercedes had seemed to be warming up to the younger girl for the most part but was still wary of her behavior and suspicious of her intentions. Then again anything concerning Sam being around another woman didn't sit well with her because of their history. She made a mental note to pay more attention to Alexis before she cleared her in her books. Marcus stole everyone's hearts by trying to imitate Mercedes singing abilities with his undeveloped skills. Sam took the opportunity to record him trying to serenade her with his made up words and incoherent sentences.

As the sun started the set the group declared it a day and started to pack up. Mercedes was happy that she came to this event with Sam. She felt like it was a big family boost for them and it had made her feel a little better about their earlier conversation. Grabbing the twin's diaper bag she felt it vibrated. Lifting up pouches and searching she finally found her phone. She had 6 missed calls and 3 voicemails. Activating her voicemail she tucked her arm under the other as she listened to the directory before hearing her mail.

_'Message 1 sent today at 12pm…Mercedes? Where are you? What's this about you not coming in today? …end of message. Message deleted! Second message sent today at 1:58pm …Ms. Jones this is very unprofessional of you to not return my calls. We have an agreement and part of that is you are here when I say- message deleted! …Third message sent today at 4:34pm …Now you've pissed me off Mercedes. Obviously whatever you are doing you feel is better than your career! Don't bother coming in for the rest of the week. I'll see you in the studio on Monday sweetheart. Enjoy your time off…message deleted! You have no new messages.'_

* * *

__**"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" by Celine Dion. **


	29. Chapter 29

Sam had been having a dream about riding a bicycle in Candyland. A goofy smile placed on his lips as he continued to dream about all the candy he could eat. Rolling over on his side to scoop up Mercedes his arms held onto air. Not wanting to open his eyes he moved his hand around the bed feeling for her body. When he was met with cool sheets he cracked an eye open. Opening the other one slowly he blinked a few times to adjust to he light in the room. Sam sat up in bed looking around for any sign of his lover. When she was anywhere to be found he became curious. Throwing the covers off his naked body he sleepily walked over towards his children peering down at them. Both of them had still been in a deep sleep, a luxury that Sam and Mercedes tried to savor. Hearing movement from the bathroom he noticed the door was closed. Walking slowly towards the door he saw it hadn't been shut all the way. As he was about to knock on the door to get her attention he was caught off guard by the sound of her voice.

"No…yes I know! Look I'm sorry ok, I was spending time with my family," he heard her voice get shaky as if she was scared, "I know the deal but…but…you can't do that! You can't keep me from him and my kids!"

The sound of desperation in her voice and the words she was saying were confusing to him. His chest heaved as he tried to focus on her conversation, _'Who is she talking too?'_ he wondered feeling anger inside of him at how upset she had sounded. Someone was making her do something against her will and Sam was not pleased by it. "Travis look…" he heard her say. _'Travis? Oh this motherfucker!'_ his nostrils flared as he was tempted to fling open the door and snatch her phone from her hands. Sam brought his fist up to his mouth to bite back his anger. Hearing her end her call he quickly rushed back to bed turning his body away from the door. He could hear her sigh and shuffle her feet in her slippers against the wooden floor. Feeling the bed sink in he felt her small arms wrap around his body. Sam stared at the wall trying to contain his anger as he shifted his jaw. Mercedes pressed herself against Sam's soft skin sighing as she closed her eyes. She could feel his body shake, "Sammy?" she called as he shut his eyes. Sitting up she leaned over to see he was still asleep. _'Must be having a bad dream,'_ she thought brushing some of his hair out of his face. Kissing his cheek she sunk back into the bed cuddling against him. When Sam felt her relax he opened his eyes again squinting, _'Game on Travis,'_ he told himself, _'Game on.'_

* * *

Mercedes had been having a lot on her mind lately. She still didn't know how to feel about the position that Travis had put her in. These linger thoughts had taken a backseat in her mind as Sam had been acting weird lately. He seemed to be on edge more often and a bit distant. _'Maybe its work?'_ she rationalized but still couldn't shake the feeling it was something else. The babies were doing fine and being as active as they could be. Her parents had sent them a gift of walkers after Mercedes had told her mom about trying to get the babies to walk. Watching Aurora and Isaiah interact was interesting because the two were so night and day. While Isaiah was often grumpy and unimpressed by everything anyone did in front of him his sister was eager to please to gain anyone's attention. She also loved to laugh and would often have moments where she would stop in her thought process and then burst out laughing. Sam was always amused by this because she could cheer him up easily. Mercedes swore that the more she grew the more she was turning into a mini Sam, while her son turned into her.

Today was her double day of classes. Mercedes had completely forgotten about her music midterm and was unprepared to perform for her class. Luckily for her she was able to make it to the library in enough time to copy sheet music. The rest of her day had gone by pretty quickly but she was exhausted. This was Sam's early work night so she wasn't looking forward to coming home to Puck and the kids. As helpful as Puck was he made a mess and the kids always wore more food than they ate. _'He really tries though…and you can't knock free babysitting,'_ she told herself as she dragged her feet up the stairs of their building. Landing on her floor she let out of sigh of relief. From running around at work, on campus and the stairs here she had started to loose a reasonable amount of weight and was back to her pre-pregnancy body. Digging around in her purse for the keys she finally found them and unlocked the door. Letting her shoulders sag as she pushed opened the door Mercedes carefully stepped in. Looking around the apartment it was dark and she heard nothing that sounded like anyone was there. _'Maybe Puck took the kids out and isn't back yet?'_ she thought before turning on the light switch. "JESUS CHRIST!" she screamed backing against the wall with her hand placed over her heart. She stared in front of her as if she had seen a ghost. Mercedes remained still trying to bring her heart rate down. There was no ghost. Instead it was a very angry looking Sam sitting on the couch. Her eyes flickered around the room to see if their children or Puck were in here. When she realized they were alone she swallowed hard and brought her attention to Sam.

"Had a nice day?" he asked coolly, his expression not changing.

Sighing she tossed her purse on the table, "What are you doing here? You scared me!" she moved towards the kitchen to open the fridge, "Where are Puck and the kids?" she asked.

"That's not important," he replied flatly

Slamming the door she turned around sharply, "What's wrong with you?" she asked eyeing him.

Sam started to laugh leaning back as he threw his arms over the couch, "What's wrong with me? Oh nothing…just found out my wife's been keeping nasty secrets from me."

She stiffened, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, no?" he asked arching an eyebrow towards her, "Does something with Travis and blackmail ring a bell?"

"It's not what you think"

"Oh really now? Then tell me what the deal is so I know that I've got my facts straight."

She looked down at the floor, "Sam…"

"NO! What's going on? I want to hear it from your mouth."

"Sammy…"

"Stop saying my name Mercedes, you know that's not what I want to hear."

She bit her lip, "He's been making me work these long hours on purpose to keep me in the studio. I called him out on it and he threatened to have me blacklisted in the music industry…it was either I agree to his terms or I'm out of a job and a career," her voice was shaky as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Come again?" he asked staring at her as if she had spoken another language.

She looked down, "He has me in a contract bind…"

Sam jumped off the couch, "Are you being serious right now Mercedes? Did you really just tell me that you allowed another man to threaten you and your career if you didn't allow him to keep up his bullshit?"

Her eyes snapped up to his with tears, "I did it for us! We need the money Sam!"

"We don't need it that damn bad Mercedes. We don't need that assholes money," he spat storming off over towards his gym bag. He dumped the contents out before finding what he was looking for.

"I know but…we can't be selfish here. We have kids to think about now."

He had his back turned towards her, "Our babies stability is important but so is our family. I won't allow this fucker to come between us," he said angrily as he mindlessly wrapped his hands in bandages.

"What are you doing?" she asked narrowing her eyes.

He turned around sharply, "Getting ready to beat some ass, that's what I'm doing."

"Sam don't! Please…please don't do anything…" she begged grabbing his arm.

He snatched his arm away from her, "NO! I'm not going to kill him. I'm just going to make sure he pays Jesus a visit for a hot minute!"

"SAMMY!" she cried

"Mercedes, quit crying! This needs to be done. He doesn't know who the fuck he's messing with and he picked the wrong family to try and pull a fast one over!" he raged as he shank down onto the couch pulling on his steel toe work boots, "First I'm going to fuck his face up. Then I'm going to ring his skinny ass neck. After I feel satisfied that he can't no longer see or breathe I'm going to kick the shit out of him so he can't move. Then I'll break his fucking fingers so he knows to never touch another woman again…"

Mercedes was in tears, "I understand…but Sammy don't…he'll ruin my career. We might as well pack up and go back to Lima."

"He's not ruining shit, I'll see to it!"

"Sammy…"

"Baby stop trying to talk me out of this. Where the hell is my phone?" he shot up walking around aimlessly trying to find his cell.

"Please, I'm begging you. Let it go. All he wants is my damn company, that's it."

"Today he wants your company. Tomorrow he wants your body. I'm not going to sit here and wait until the day he takes advantage of you for the sake of your damn career! You're better than that. We're better than that!" he turned around to eye her, "You do not get to stoop down to so many levels out of fear. That's what he wants baby. He's preying on your weakness and exploiting the fuck out of it because he knows he can and will use whatever tactics to break you down. You shouldn't have given in. I don't blame you because I understand why you did it. You were thinking of me and the munchkins. But I'm sorry baby, this shit is ending tonight. If I have to go to jail, so fucking be it!"

She stepped in front of him placing her hands on his chest, "I have this under control. Please just trust me! I took a big risk in telling you. Please just let me handle it."

"No"

"Sam"

"No"

"Sam please…"

"No"

"Fine, go out there and put him the hospital. Get yourself locked up so you can have two strikes against you with a felony. What the hell am I supposed to do then? I'll be fired. You won't be able to work from behind bars! Sammy…please…"

He pursed his lips, "Don't use his bullshit tactics on me Mercedes…" he growled stepping away from her.

"Please think of our kids. That's what he wants. He wants you mad so he can have a reason to ruin you. Please…" she whispered sniffing as she slowly approached him.

Sam bit his lip feeling the tears well up in his eyes, "What am I supposed to do? Just watch another man take advantage of you? I know you breaking into this business means so much to you but I don't feel comfortable with any of this. This isn't right," he cried

She wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry baby. I really am…just let me get my album done and I promise I will leave. Maybe I can be so lucky that another company will want me and buy my contract from him."

He buried his face in her hair, "Why do you have to wait then? You're talented enough to pick up notice from anyone! Don't give into this fucking madness."

"Sammy…" she breathed, "This isn't Lima baby. I'm not in a two bit town where I standout and that statement is valid. We're in LA. The city where hopes and dreams come to die and every minute there's someone getting off the bus thinking they're the next big thing."

"Don't be so insecure."

She glared at him, "I'm not being insecure! It's called reality Sam! The reality is that we're young, we have a family and if I ruin all that I came out here for then we need to pack up and move back home. Back home I'll get a job in retail and you working whatever you can find. Is that what you want?"

"It's better than this," he exclaimed

She stepped back from him to stare into his eyes, "So that's it? Just pack up and move back home? Where are we going to stay? You're not going to make the same money you are making here in Lima."

"I'll manage"

"You're being selfish Sam"

"Ha! I'm being selfish?" he shouted running his fingers through his hair as he started to pace, "Ok you know what Mercedes? Go ahead and keep on going to work in a place where some dick thinks he owns you and can dictate what you do. Go ahead and give into his every whim just because he dangles your contract above a fire."

"That's not fair"

He stared at her with wide eyes, "Have some pride Mercedes!"

"Pride? Sam you're so damn proud that there isn't room for anyone else! You're so freaking stubborn and so irrational! You never ever think about the repercussions of anything. You do first and deal with the damage later. That's how Sam Evans rolls. He doesn't think out things in the long run."

Sam clenched his jaw, "What are you saying?"

"You're too unpredictable Sam and you might see that a good thing but it's not! I love you so much but you can't just always do things because you feel like doing them or the idea sounds good in your head! I wish I could do that and not give a damn, but the cold hard fact is I do. One of us has too. If I don't make the sacrifices I have too we'll fail."

"I make sacrifices everyday Mercedes, don't you dare! I always think about you and what will happen to us in the long run!"

"Really? Because the last time I checked I didn't knock myself up! I trusted you with my body and you couldn't even shield your dick for one second? I missed out on school and was behind my classes because of the babies being in the hospital. I'm forcing myself to work in a horrible place so I can make my dreams come true and take care of our family."

His mouth hung open, "So that's how you really feel huh? I'm so fucking sorry I didn't wrap my junk ok? I'm sorry I ruined your life and I'm sorry I'm forcing you to be the bread winner of the family-"

"Sam that's not what I'm saying"

"Oh but it is! According to your statement I'm a life ruiner and apparently a lazy ass fuck who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. I've never in my life sacrificed anything for you or the kids. I'm just letting you carry around the burden so I can further make your hopes and dreams harder to achieve," he sunk down on the couch, "You know what? Why not just admit that without me your life would be so much better. I'm sorry you're forcing yourself to do anything you don't want too do. I'm sorry I'm a burden. I'm sorry I got you pregnant and brought children into your life to further complicate things. I'm so damn sorry for ruining your wonderful life that you had all planned out and that a thing called 'shit happens' would never touch it," he professed as his lip quivered. Wiping his face on the back of his sleeve he stood up.

"Sammy that's not what I meant."

He continued to wipe his face, "No you're right. I am the selfish one, it's not you at all," he headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked frantically rushing towards him.

Sam didn't acknowledge her, "I have to go to work. You know the place where I do and contribute nothing to this family?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist pressing her face into his back, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," she cried

He closed his eyes as the tears ran down his face, "You said your peace and I said mine," he replied.

She sniffed, "I didn't mean it like that Sammy, really I didn't."

He pulled her arms from around his waist, "I gotta go to work. I'll talk to you later," he said softly.

Mercedes looked up at him bewildered but he refused to look her in the eyes. The tangy taste of blood had entered her mouth as she realized she had bit her lip. He stood in the doorway staring at the ground, his eyes puffy and red from his tears. She wanted to say more to him but knew that right now he was really hurt and anything she'd say would just make it worse. He lifted his head tilting it back to try and stop the tear flow. Clearing his throat he stepped back into the apartment and planted a kiss on her forehead. Without saying a word he turned around and left, closing the door behind him. Mercedes stood their frozen staring at the door for what seemed like hours. What had she done? She hurt Sam and all he did was try to standup for her when she refused too. _'When did I become such a weak person?'_ she asked herself as she staggered backwards to the couch. Collapsing she draped her arm over her head and started to cry.

* * *

A lady had been staring at Sam all night as he danced around on the stage. Sam had a rule that if customers got too close or showed too much interest in him he'd avoid eye contact with them. When he first started stripping back when his parents lost his job he didn't mind the extra attention he'd receive from the ladies. But now nearly a year later he was a father and what he considered to be a husband. He knew Mercedes wouldn't like what he was doing but what else could he do? Aside from the fact that he had his GED he really didn't have a solid education that would allow a respectable company to hire him. Their medical bills were piling up. His family came first and that's all he needed to keep him motivated.

"Could I buy some private time with you?" the lady from across the room said.

Sam bent down to near her face, "Sorry I don't do private shows."

"It's nothing sexual actually it's just business," she said with a smile.

A look of confusion came across his face, "Come again?"

"You have a pretty face and by the looks of your surroundings I think you ought to accept my invite."

Sam hesitated, "Fine"

"Thank you and for your services I'll tip you well."

Sam stepped off the stage and led the woman into one the empty rooms in the back. The woman's eyes roamed the room as if contemplating if she should stand or sit down. Making an internal decision she pulled out a few tissues from her purse before laying them down on the seat. She sat down on the sofa brushing off the expensive looking suit she had on. He remained standing looking down at her. She smiled at him and folded her hands across her lap.

"First of all my name is Sheila McDowell," she said extending her hand. He shook it cautiously, "I've been noticing you when I come here on my business hours."

"Business hour? What kind of business are you in? If it's porn I'm not interested."

Shelia raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think I work in the porn industry?"

"Well you did say you were here on business and this is a strip club. Unless you're into human trafficking or something…"

"None of the sort," she laughed, "Actually I'm a modeling agent and I want to represent you."

"Seriously?" he started to laugh, "Lady I'm no model…"

"Oh but you are," she stood up and strolled near him, "You have a very delicious looking physique. You also have this boy next door charm to you and those lips! Your lips could be your signature look."

Sam shifted away from her, "Thank you but no thank you."

"It pays a lot…" she let her eyes linger, "You didn't give me your name."

"It's White Chocolate," he replied

"No your real name"

"…Samuel"

"Well Samuel, just come into my office and take a few head shots. If you don't like what you see I won't bother you again."

"Listen lady I'm not buying your scam," he huffed straightening his body.

She shook her head, "I assure you I'm not a scammer."

He eyed her, "So I'm really supposed to believe that on this night of all nights and me of all people you happen to wander in here and take interest in me? That a broke country boy like me is being discovered in the big city stripping? Because you can see me a big star?" he mocked waving his hand to emphasis a shooting star.

"That's what I'm saying"

He laughed humorlessly, "No thank you"

"Just do some head shots"

Sam snorted, "Yeah right! And I suppose these test shots are done in an undisclosed location where I go and then my body turns up in a river somewhere mutilated? I don't think so. I'm pretty but I'm not dumb. I know what weirdo's will do to people like me just because we seem disposable and not a value to society since we sell ourselves for money. Especially in this city of all places," he shot before turning to the door to open it.

Sheila shook her head, "My company is legit you can even look us up yourself at the BBB."

"Oh that's nice, so you're a legit scam then? Like those 800 numbers where you call and I come in and do some stuff then at the end you try and sell me some star packages?" he said narrowing eyes at her, "I don't have time for your shit. I've got kids to feed and a home to take care of. I am not wasting my time on some bogus magically offer. I heard your case and the verdict is out. No."

She laughed, "I like your humor and your attitude. I can already tell you have great potential."

"And I can already tell you are hard of hearing."

"You're good"

"Get out"

Crossing her arms she looked at him amused, "Not until you agree to do a few head shots with me. All it is getting your picture taken so it can be passed off to some of my clients. If they like what they see you're hired. There's absolutely no money involved. All I want is just an hour or two with you and my photographers. That's it."

"That's it?"

"Yes, it's in a public setting where there are plenty of people around. I'm not going to lure you to an abandoned warehouse Samuel. If it makes you feel better I will send a car for you."

"I'd rather take my own car thank you."

"Whatever you choose. So what do you say?"

He pursed his lips before sighing, "Fine I'll do the head shots."

"Perfect, here's my card. Let my assistant know you spoke with me and she'll set you up with an appointment."

He accepted the card, "Thanks"

"I look forward to hearing from you Samuel," she opened up her purse and pulled out a wad of cash handing it to him, "Don't keep me waiting for too long," is all she said before she slipped out of the room.

Sam looked down in his hand at the rolled up bills. He removed the rubber band as his eyes began to widen. That Sheila woman had given him $600! That was way more than he made a day. Something had to give. There was no way that a talent agent would just so happen to walk into his strip club and offer him a modeling job. Besides he wasn't even the fashionable type. His idea of looking classy was wearing a nice clean shirt and pressed pants. Sam shuffled the money in his hands still in shock at the amount. _'Your stripping days will be over! Take the offer!,'_ his mind thought, _'Yeah but…at what cost? There's always a give and take with this…don't do it Sam…but think about the money it could bring in? You guys can move out of that tiny studio and into a bigger place…'_ Sighing loudly he quickly wrapped the money back up and stuffed it into his pocket along with the card. He should bring it up with Mercedes first but wasn't sure how to approach the subject. He didn't want to lie to her…then again he was already lying about his job. However with this offer he could easily say he was discovered working on a set. Sam rubbed his temple deciding to give his brain a rest. Sleeping on it for a few days sounded like a better plan than making a split decision.

* * *

It had been raining hard tonight. The weather reports were calling a warning for anyone near the coast to evacuate. All the many reasons why Travis had chose to live nowhere near the water. Unlike the poor fools who would have their homes flooded and possession ruined he was going to sit happy as a clam warm and dry in his house. Shutting off the engine of his car he pulled his hood over his head as he raced towards the door. Unlocking the door he stepped in quickly to turn off the alarm. The next thing Travis knew he felt a pain on the back of his head as he sunk to the floor before everything went black.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been trying to balance everything out and had to hold off on updating. I think I must has rewritten this chapter a few times because I wasn't satisfied with the outcome before. Anywho, so Sam's job has been finally revealed. It'll be explained how he ended up down at path again. What do you think of his offer? Think it's a good deal or too good to be true? **


	30. Chapter 30

**One Week Later**

"Girl you are so stupid"

Mercedes looked up from her coffee, "Excuse me?" she asked with annoyance.

Alexis leaned over the table, "You are stupid," she said popping the 'p', "I can't believe you said such scandalous shit to Sam. After all you've been through together you have the nerve to still be hung up on trivial crap?"

"I'm not hung up on anything!" she snapped defensively, "It just came out. I was angry and it slipped."

Alexis glared at her, "Stuff like that just doesn't slip out Mercedes. You either mean it or you don't. If you don't mean if you would have never said it."

Looking down at Frappucino, Mercedes started to slush around the straw. Alexis has a point and Mercedes hated owning up to it. Things had become very awkward in the apartment since the fight. If they were home together they acted like they were in two different dimensions in the same space. Sam hadn't spoken a true word to her unless it was to ask about their kids. He even took to sleeping on the couch at night. An action that left Mercedes feeling empty and lonely as she would lay there smoothing her hand over his side of the bed, her heart breaking wanting him to join her. It was her fault though, she made no attempt to engage him in a conversation. Instead she would bury herself in her books as he tended to the kids throughout the day. That was another nail in the coffin for them, their kids. After their argument Sam had been keeping to himself and as a result their little ones as well. If one of them cried he'd be the first to rush up, not giving her the chance to care for them. Feeding time Sam would just wave her off gently or say, 'I got this'. It hurt. It hurt so bad that Mercedes thought she was developing heartburn over everything. She got why he was defensive. After all in a little few words or less she admitted that she felt Sam and their kids were a burden on her life.

"Hey are you listening to me!" Alexis asked snapping her fingers.

Mercedes glared, "Yes"

"Ok, listen girl you and me are cool but you really need to get your life right. I can't be your white savior, you can only fix this."

"Thanks," she replied dryly

"However I can get you advice because that's what I like doing," she started before smiling, "If your relationship isn't in order then your house isn't in order."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means!" she paused to take a sip of her coffee, "It means that if you don't fix this mess with you and Sam everything you have now is going to fall apart more than it already is."

"Gee, when did you become Ms. Words of Wisdom?"

"Stop deflecting and take me seriously. I maybe younger than you by 2 years but apparently in this category I'm wiser." Alexis leaned over and gently stroked Hayden's head, "You're lucky Mercedes. You're really lucky"

"How so?"

Alexis frowned, "Because you have someone that loves you. Not only does he love you but he stuck by you after finding out you were pregnant. I wish I could have that, I mean Hayden and I are fine on our own but I still wish I could give her a father. I'm not saying you need a man to complete your life or anything, I'm just saying that you've got a good thing and you're messing it up," she stated making eye contact with Mercedes, "Let's be honest here girl. For real, for real Sammy is hot. You're hot too but he's a hot dude who shows love and devotion to his kids. Girls go nuts for that shit and it helps that he's extremely attractive and has a body like-"

"Alexis…" Mercedes warned

Alexis gave her an unapologetic smile, "I'm just being honest. He won't leave you because he loves you and doesn't have a need to seek out options. But are you really going to wait until he realizes he does have them? One day you'll come home and find out he packed up himself and the kids and moved back to that tiny town ya'll are from. Or worse you come home and find out he got a new girl to play mommy to his kids."

"Sam wouldn't do that."

"Right now he won't. But after awhile heartache turns into loneliness, loneliness turns into depression and then he's just vulnerable. He's probably vulnerable right now…"

"I see"

"You Cedes you piss me off," Alexis admitted shaking her head, "Again I'm not going to tell you want to do but when someone younger than you has to give you advice on your relationship, and they're single, you need to evaluate your priorities. I know you're all about getting your big break and making it, and no one's trying to stop you. Sam supports you. However that flame of a dream isn't burning as brightly anymore because you have new priorities that you are putting on the backburner. The cemeteries filled with hard headed people."

Before Mercedes could respond to Alexis's remark Aurora's whimper from the stroller caught her attention. Turning to the sound she looked at her daughter as her large brown eyes started to tear up. Mercedes carefully lifted her up and sat her on her lap, "You're ok baby girl, you're ok. Did you want to sit with the big girls?" she cooed smoothing over the little girls blonde curls. Aurora continued to whimper looking up at her mother with wide eyes before looking around, _'She's probably looking for her brother and Sam,'_ Mercedes thought feeling a tinge in her heart. The little girl blinked, sniffling as she relaxed against Mercedes touch. Eagerly she reached out trying to grab the smoothie on the tables, "Oh no, you can't have any of that!" Mercedes told gently taking her small hand into hers. Aurora pouted, looking like Sam, as she stared at her mother angrily for denying her the cold wet object she wanted to hold. Mercedes frowned. Before plugging her finger on top of the straw to suction some of the liquid, carefully bringing it over to her daughter's mouth, "Mmm yummy?" she asked watching the baby carefully lick the straw.

Alexis gave a soft smile, "Cedes…"

"hmm?" Mercedes responded looking up

"Just talk to him"

Mercedes sighed, "Easier said than done. He's never going to forgive me," she looked down at her daughter, "I know him. He'll say it but he'll hold onto it and internally continue to hurt himself. I shouldn't have said what I said period."

"No you shouldn't but you can jump back in time to erase the past."

"Time machine's would be lovely right now."

Alexis smiled, "Time machine's are overrated. You gotta learn to curve your words."

"Still can't believe I'm getting advice from a 16 year old."

"Neither can I," she laughed, "But someone's gotta talk sense into you. Might as well be me. I have no qualms with upsetting you if it means it'll steer you in the right direction. I can take the heat."

Mercedes chuckled, "Heaven knows you've pissed me off more times than I can help."

"It's love," she shrugged picking up a French fry.

The two women shared a sweet smile before finishing their lunch. Even though Alexis got in Mercedes hair every now in then the girl had finally won her over. Sure she was opinionated, challenged her on occasion and was nosy Mercedes could say with ease that she liked her. She may have started off as Sam's friend but things quickly escalated and Alexis became her friend. Mercedes couldn't deny that it felt nice to have another girl to talk to besides Aurora, who wasn't much of a talker to begin with and someone other than Puck. It felt good to get away every once in awhile and just feel like herself. Not to say she didn't feel like that with Sam, they live together so it was a different situation in her mind. She needed a friend too. Of course people did talk to her on campus, but because of her job and the kids she had to miss out on things or was left off the list for events. It was depressing to say the least but she understood. No freshman wanted to give up all the perks that came with being in college in order to have quiet mall trips or hangouts with a mother of two. Well…none that she had come across as of yet. She knew Alexis did well for herself, despite still being in high school when it came to making friends. _'Maybe we're just different,'_ she had told herself but was glad to have someone that she could relate too.

Mercedes dragged her feet up the stairs as she clutched Aurora to her hip, the little girl happily nibbling on a stuffed toy. "You are getting so heavy Mama!" she cooed to her daughter as she finally reached their floor. She shrugged her shoulder trying to balance the diaper bag on the other side of her arm. Mercedes had left the stroller in the car, seeing no use in lugging the heavy thing all the way up 4 flights of stairs. Throughout her entire girl's day with Alexis, her mind had wandered to Sam and how he and Isaiah were holding up without their female counterparts. Then again she had thought Sam's thought was probably less her and more of Aurora. "Don't you hate it when other people try to make sense of your life for you?" she said to her daughter, rubbing her face in her pigtailed curls, planting a soft kiss. Fishing out her keys she unlocked the door. Mercedes half expected to come home an empty apartment. Instead she came home to a questionable scenario in front of her.

"What the…" she exclaimed her eyes landing on Sam.

"Hi," he said shyly before looking down at their son.

In all the things Mercedes has ever prepared herself for, seeing Sam shirtless with blue face paint on while their son was dressed to look like a military person, hair gel'd to a small faux hawk. She could only imagine that this had something to do with Avatar, _'Why else would Sam's face be painted? …he could be joining the Blue Man Group…?'_ The looks they exchanged were priceless. Sam had been caught red handed in a situation he would now have to explain. He could feel Isaiah trying to shift from his legs to head towards his mother. Not breaking eye contact he reached out and grabbed the boy by the waist pulling him back against him, still staring at a confused Mercedes. Sam gave her a sheepish grin protectively collecting Isaiah in his arms as he stood up to join his girlfriend in the middle of the room. The babies exchanged looks towards each other from their parent's arms. Isaiah for once seeming delighted by his sister's sudden appearance, Aurora not so impressed with the fun her father and brother were having without her. Mercedes examined the both of them.

"We're reenacting scenes…" Sam started trying to keep the chuckle in his voice down.

Mercedes eyed him, "Uh huh"

"Izzy here is Jake in human form. It only makes perfect sense that I'd be his avatar form because I'm taller."

She arched an eyebrow, "Go on"

"And-" he was cut off by a sound in the bathroom.

"Man if all this blue crap turns my skin a weird shade I'm beating you with an inch of your life Evans!" Puck said wandering into the zoom with a blue painted face and shirtless, "Oh hey there Mama."

The expression on Mercedes face was unreadable, "This is totally normal?"

"Totally" Puck responded

"Completely normal," Sam added with confidence

"And there's nothing weird about two shirtless grown ass men in face paint with a little boy reenacting a movie."

Sam frowned, "You're making it sound way creepier than it really is."

Pulling out her phone she quickly snapped a picture, "It's adorable, creepy, but adorable."

Puck finally joined them in the room, "Come to Uncle Pucky!" he squealed holding his arms out to Aurora who started to pout.

"Your face is scaring her," Mercedes joked

Puck pouted, "Sam, Roe is giving me attitude. She's a mini Cedes. This is so unfair."

Sam chuckled turning Isaiah around in his arms as the little boy dug his chubby fingers in Sam's chest, "So…you're back…" he started

"I'm back…"

"…had fun?"

"Yeah…"

"…good"

They both stared at each other, neither one of them knowing what to say next or if to keep the conversation long. Puck noticed the tension immediately given that Sam was hesitant earlier to discuss the latest angst in their relationship. He knew that whatever it was the subject was too sensitive for Sam to talk out loud. Taking that as his cue to leave he slowly backed away from the silent couple, grabbing his buttoned shirt. Sam's eyes had been focused on Mercedes lips, waiting for her to say something first because he was at lost. She tried to make eye contact with him in hopes that it would be easier to fill the room with conversation. It wasn't until one of the babies let out a giggle that caught their attention, each looking down to find the culprit of the laugh. Aurora had a wide grin on her face, drooling as she tried to suppress her laugh. Both eyes traveled from one baby to another as Isaiah was staring intently at his sister.

"What are you two doing?" Sam asked amused as both babies looked up, "Ya'll causing trouble?"

Mercedes cuddled her daughter, "You're not causing trouble big girl, right? Daddy's just exaggerating!"

"Daddy is not exaggerating and by the looks of Izzy he is not here for whatever his sister is trying to entice him with."

Sam winced at the feel of the little boys nails digging into his skin. He groaned squinting in pain, "Easy on the grip buddy," he said prying the baby's fingers off him. Isaiah still desperate to attach himself to his father accepted grasping a finger instead. Shifting the little boy around, he sunk back into Sam's arms, starting to doze off.

"I'm sorry," Mercedes quickly blurted out

Sam looked at her with a blank expression, "About what?"

Not wanting to break up their moment Puck quietly made his rounds in the room before slipping out the door. He figured if he tried to hold a brief conversation with either of them that nothing would get resolved. Watching Sam display an arrange of emotions on his face was more than he could bare for a week. _'I should get paid for this,'_ he thought as he on and off referred to himself as the 'Samcedes Whisperer'. A title which had proved right by his ability to bring them together when shit got rough. Puck may have been rude, careless, a pervert and conceited but he tried not to let it fully extend to those close to him. Closing the door behind him he quietly walked down the hall before his phone went off loudly. Checking the caller I.D his eyes grew wide in shock and surprise at the recipient, "Well…well…if it isn't my lovely lady."

Back inside the apartment their staring contest hadn't progressed. Sam was confused on what she was apologizing for. With their relationship it could have been an array of things. Mercedes shifted from side to side before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry for what I said"

Sam blinked, "Oh"

The tone of his voice made her feel self conscious, "Yeah…listen…the way it came out…I was upset."

Sam cast his eyes to the floor, "I understand, you don't have to apologize to me."

"Sam," she said calmly extending her free hand to his face, smoothing it over his check as he gave her a tearful look, "Baby I was wrong…I shouldn't have said it. I shouldn't have even been thinking it. I was wrong. I know things in life get hard and I shouldn't have blamed you. I'm grateful for you and for the munchkins. With everything going on I misdirected my anger and that's not fair to you. You've given up your whole life to move across the country to be with me-"

"But you are my life. I love my family but they are doing good. This family here needs me more," he said softly nuzzling her palm.

"Regardless there is no good excuse for what I said or how I made you feel. I need you to know that I love you and you mean more to me than anything. Together we are an unstoppable force but apart we are vulnerable. I also want to apologize for saying that you don't work as hard as I do. It's not easy, none of it is. If I didn't have you I don't know how I'd be able to make it through the day everyday."

He stared at her, cheeks stained with tears letting out a sniffle. Turning around he walked over to the crib and carefully placed a sleeping Isaiah in it. Returning he repeated the process with Aurora. Now they didn't have any interference just each other. Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, gathering her body close to his. Before she could speak again he ran his fingers through her hair, pressing her head against his bare chest. He shushed her quietly as he held her. Mercedes felt her emotions rise in her chest. It felt like forever since she felt his tenderness. Burying her head against him she slightly sobbed as he continued to soothe her. "I love you," he whispered bending down to kiss the top of her hair. Suddenly Mercedes broke out into a fit of giggles. Sam curious pulled back to look at her as she wiped her eyes, laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked amused

"You"

"Me?"

"Yeah…I just realized I'm being comfortable by a smurf," she joked, poking his side

He squirmed, "I am Na'vi, not a Smurf," he scoffed, "I'm so offended that you'd offend my people this way."

"Your people?" she chuckled looking at his serious face, "Oh Sammy"

He gave her a warm smile, "Yes baby?"

"I don't care if you're green, red or Barney I still love you but…" her voice trailed as she pulled away from him, "If you got any of that blue stuff in my hair I am going to shave your eyebrows off in your sleep."

Sam protectively slapped his hand against his forehead, "That's cruel. I'd look funny."

"You look funny now"

"I'm a Native"

"You're so crazy"

"Crazy for you," he smiled.

* * *

**A/N: I on and off get hit with writer's block sometimes and have to take a break. They made up! ^_^. Tbh I don't know what i'd do if I walked in on someone reenacting scenes from a movie. In the next chapter Mercy finds out about Travis and Sam attends his first photo shoot. Next updates for The Dead Can't Dance and A World Without You coming soon.**


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